The Gift Of Nienna
by Ruffnut49
Summary: One weeping goddess sends out her own Istar to fix the wrongs of the World. How can a simple girl carry such a duty on her young shoulders and prove to the Order that she is worthy? And how will her life get tangled with the lives of one hobbit and thirteen dwarves on an unexpected journey. Not a Mary Sue, I promise :)
1. Chapter 1

I don't own anything except my own OCs and one boring little town that I made up. If anyone would like to be my beta, oh god please send me a pm xD English is not my first language, so please excuse any mistakes :( R&R please ^^

Oh and btw the first 2-3 chapters will be more of an intro until the actual storyline of the Hobbit begins. Thanks for reading, hope you'll like it!

* * *

Chapter one

She dipped the cloth into the bucket, twisted it once so the cold water drained from it and placed it back on her mother's forehead. She tried to keep herself from wincing when she heard her mother's strenuous coughs. Forcing a smile onto her lips, she sat back and wiped her cold hands on her dress.

'I think the tea is done, let me check.' She walked over to the other side of their meager living room and knelt in front of the little black kettle hanging over the fire. She inhaled the herby steam and nodded to herself, before pouring the tea into a small clay cup.

'What would I do without you ,my dear...' the hacking cough cut her off.

'Shhh! Don't strain yourself mother...here take your tea.' She knelt back at her side helping her sit up and putting the cup in her hand. She watched her forcing a mouthful down her throat, the hand holding the cup shaking.

'Don't worry about me Braille, I will be back on my feet in no time. Thanks to your healing hands.' She gave her a gentle smile, pushing a strand of dark hair from her forehead. Braille felt a stinging pain in her heart. _Aye, and the next day you will fall back into your bed..._The battle with her mother's sickness has worn out both of them.

'Don't you waste any more time on me dear, better get ready for the festival. Look, it's almost dark outside, they will light the torches soon.'

'I'm not going.'

'What?'

'I will not leave you all alone in here.'

'Don't be silly, I will not let you miss something like that because of me!' She started coughing_. Something like what_? Not as if it was anything special. Actually, calling it a festival is just ridiculous. As if there could be anything as exciting in their tiny village, in the middle of nowhere. The only interesting thing here was the horse of old Farks, who let her ride it sometimes and...Rem. _Don't think about him, stupid!_

'Everyone will be there, you wouldn't want to miss the chance to dance with that boy...'

'Mother!' Braille cut her off, her cheeks burning. She huffed, waiting for her mother to stop laughing.

'I was hoping to see you in my white dress.' She looked at her lovingly.

'Your dress!' She exclaimed. 'I...I can't - '

'I don't need it.' her mother cut her off.' I am old and you are young and beautiful.'

'I am not.'

'And stubborn as ever...please put it on.' She coughed into her hand.

Braille sighed and walked over to the chest. She pushed the heavy lid open and pulled out the dress from the bottom. For a moment she stared at it, feeling as if she was stealing something. It was a gift from her grandfather to her mother, who bought it for her from a travelling merchant. It might have been nowhere close to what the Gondorian ladies were wearing, but such pure white linen wasn't something every girl here in Faygate owned. And even though the dress was simple, it was still a much better from their boring old wool.

She let her scratchy brown dress fall to the floor, as she carefully slid the white one over her head. She tied the white ribbon under her breast and turned around slowly. Her mother's eyes were shining.

'My flower...' she smiled, tears leaking from her eyes. Braille fidgeted nervously, smoothing down the folds on her dress.

'I'm afraid I will ruin it...'

'Shush! Go, please! Dear gods, all the village boys will fall in love with you.' She chuckled to herself.

'Mother!' She blushed up to her ears. Sighing, she gave her mother a kiss and wished her farewell before leaving the house.

* * *

Nienna, the Lady of Mercy watched, weeping silently. Even gods feel pain, and even gods can cry. And how can one be content, having to watch their own world, one which they helped create and raise like a child, being burned down by the undying evil. Undying yes, for even before time, when this world was being born from the music of Illuvatar, there was an evil that threatened to warp it and destroy it. She wept first when their brother Melkor betrayed them and she still weeps tears of pity for all the children of Arda who must suffer for it.

'You should not carry all the sorrow of this world on your shoulders, sister.' Manwe, the King of the Valar stood next to her.

'Can you not see it? Melkor's servant is not banished. He will rise again and with him he will raise an evil worse than the last one. So much grief, so much death...Will the children of Illuvatar ever live in freedom and happiness, as he wished them to?'

'You should not doubt it. And you should not meddle in their lives. Everyone has their own destiny, however much that saddens you, dear sister. But soon the time will come when this world will be free of Melkor's shadow. This is not our battle anymore.'

'I cannot stand and watch...' she burst into tears again. Manwe put his hand on her cheek and watched her silently. Sighing, he let his hand fall to his side and turned away from her.

'Do as you think is right.'

And with that he was gone.

Nienna felt a flutter of hope in her heart, and with it she flew to the halls of Mandos, to her sister Vaire. Here, her sister weaved the story of the World on her tapestries, which covered the walls of the halls. She weaved the glowing threads together, her hands flying with indescribable speed and skill.

'It is nice of you to visit me, sister.' She said, without stopping her work.

'I have missed you greatly. I see you very seldom out of these halls. Will you not take some rest from your work?'

'It is my duty, and the World will not wait for me to get back.'

'But look, you are tired and you have not noticed this thread has come to it's end. It is too short.' Nienna pointed one pale finger at the part of the tapestry on which Vaire was working.

'Aye, it is...' She continued weaving. 'It is but a very young girl...and look how it is glowing right at the end. The happiest moment of her life and yet she is to die soon after. Such a pity.' She continued weaving and the thread became shorter and shorter.

Nienna grabbed the end of the thread with the tips of her her other hand she pulled another thread down. Tears were streaming down her face.

'Nienna! You cannot do that!' Vaire exclaimed, stopping her work for the first time.

'Our brother has given me his blessings.' She sobbed, tears of pity and healing ran down her cheeks.

She tied the two threads together.

* * *

Braille stood with her hands crossed over her chest, trying not to look at the young pair dancing in front of her. Her gut wrenched every time she saw the girls golden locks fly into his face when he threw her and turned her around.

'Won't you dance Braille?' Her friends came running to her. Their cheeks were flushed from dancing and laughing. She shaked her head slightly, turning away, but her friends grabbed her under her elbows and pulled her forward. 'Come on don't just stand there.'

'No...no! Let go..ugh!' she yelled, trying to wrench free from their grip. They giggled and pushed her forward and stumbling she fell right into his arms. For a moment she stood there, dumbfounded, staring into his eyes. He smiled that all too familiar smile. 'Nice to see you Braille.' His voice was as warm as honest as always. She missed hearing it. 'Especially here in my arms' he gave her a charming grin and she felt her insides melt.

'Yeah well, I thought I might surprise you. Long time no see huh,Rem?'She untangled herself from his arms reluctantly.

'You definitely surprised me, I really wasn't expecting you to fall so elegantly into my arms. 'He laughed and she snorted, scowling. 'Very funny.'

'It's nice to see you're still as clumsy as always. I wonder how you managed to survive 17 years with all your parts still attached.' He laughed.

She felt her cheeks burning. _Why did I ever miss that idiot?_ She was about to retort angrily when an all too familiar sweet voice cut her off.

'Do you mind?' Clair cut her off.' We were in the middle of a dance.' She pushed herself between them and put her hand on Rem's arm possessively.

Braille bit her tongue. 'Yes, sorry..I'll be on my way then..'she grabbed her skirt and turned and almost ran the other way.

'Braille, wait!' She ignored him and started running away from the field and the torches and the smiling dancers. A sob escaped her and she pulled her dress up higher around her knees and ran faster .By the time she got to the river, hot tears were streaming down her face and she sat on the huge dark log, where they used to sit together. She bit her lip and shut her eyes tightly. There was no point in crying, it was her own fault, if only she hadn't ran away from him and distanced herself. She was afraid of her feelings when they first appeared and now, a year after , it is too late. He found another girl. And she is the prettiest girl in their village. And she should be happy for him...She wiped her eyes and calmed her breathing. Dropping her feet into the shallow water of the Anduin river, she leaned back on her hands and looked into the star speckled sky.

'Braille?'

Her heart skipped a beat.

'I knew I would find you here.'

She stared wide-eyed into the dark surface of the water, afraid of turning her head and looking at him. She listened to his soft footsteps until he came to the log and sat next to her.

'Have you been crying?' he turned her head with his hands and she was forced to look into his concerned eyes.

'Is it because of what I said? Look, I am sorry...'

' It's not that...' she cut him off.

'Then what is it?'She looked into his gray eyes._It is because I love you and I realized it too late, now you will marry another girl and I will live with my unhappiness till the rest of my life._

'My mother is sick.'

'Again? I am sorry Braille...I am sure she will get better soon. You know what,I will come visit her tomorrow. I wanted to see you too, I missed you...'He put his arm on her shoulder, his voice trailing off.

_Why are you doing this to me? _She felt fresh tears pricking her eyes.

'Won't Clair mind?'She dropped her gaze, unable to look into his eyes.

'Clair? Why would I care about what she thinks?' She looked up at him surprised.

'Well...aren't you two...' she couldn't find the right word.

He sighed.

'There was something but...I am tired of her. Sure she is pretty...' Braille felt her gut wrench. 'But that is all there is to her. She is not...'

_I knew it! She is not smart or funny or even nice! Finally he realized it._

'She is not you.'

Her heart seemed to stop. He was looking away from her, into the dark water. She didn't realize how long the silence lasted but for a while only the running water and the faraway music could be heard.

'What?' a breathless whisper escaped her.

'Why don't we still go swimming together?' He turned his head sharply and looked into her eyes as if searching for something.

'What?' She stared at him dumbfounded.

'Why don't we spend our days on the field just how we used to? Why don't we go ride Farks' horse together anymore?Will you say anything else but 'what' ?'

She looked at him silently, breathing hard.

He put his hand on her neck and pulled her to him, kissing her clumsily on the lips.

* * *

She turned a twisted in her bed, unable to fall asleep. How could she even think of sleeping after such a night. Butterflies exploded in her stomach when she remember his kiss and she bit her lip trying not to giggle. She wished she could have stayed there with him all night. _Rem loves me! _She hid her smile in her pillow. _I cannot believe this...This is the happiest day of my life._ She sat up in her bed and looked over her room to where her mother was sleeping soundly. _It feels like a dream._ She got up from her bed and walked out of the house, shutting the door carefully. The moon was full and bright, lighting her way. She trudged down to the river without thinking. There was no point in trying to sleep with her head so full of thoughts. She didn't feel tired at all, she felt as light as a feather being carried by the breeze. She still didn't take her mother's dress off, she felt it brings her was a tingling sensation all over her skin that she couldn't shake off. Everything around her, all these little things that she was watching every day of her life seemed now different, and she felt as if her whole life was about to change beyond all the ways she could imagine. Is it because of his promise? Because he swore he would take me away from this place?

'_I will show you the mountains, and forests and great cities. Imagine living in Minas Tirith! Isn't that what you always wanted? Weren't you the one who told me that there is a better life out there if we are just brave enough to venture out of Faygate and take it for ourselves.'_

She smiled to herself, laying down on the log with one foot hanging from it. _Of course he would know my deepest wishes. We did spend most of our childhood together. _She sighed and closed her eyes, drifting into sleep with his voice still ringing in her head.

She opened her eyes blinking away the sleep. How long had she been sleeping? She pushed herself up from the log. It is light but...she blinked a few times. The reflection of the moon sparkled on the dark water. It is still night and...those sounds...She felt goosebumps all over her skin. Slowly, as if in a trance, she stood up and turned around towards the village slowly. There was fire all over her vision. Not merry festival torches, but hungry smoldering fires, burning away whole houses. And then she realized what the sound was that woke her up. Screams.

'No...'she stumbled towards the village, her vision blurring. She could see her mother's house burning in the distance .'No, no, no no...' she fell and scrambled back up hastily.

'Mother...motheeeeeeeeeeeeeeer-' She cried, stumbling, her hair flying everywhere.

'REEEEEEEEM!'She screamed in agony, falling to her knees in front of the pulled at her hair, hot tears streaming down her face, crying out until she lost her voice and watching her home and all her loved ones burn. The screams of the villagers were dying out as the laughs and shouts of the orcs drowned them out. The clanking of metal pierced the warm summer air.

'No...'she dug her hands into the hard brown soil, letting her head fall. Voiceless, she sobbed and fought for air. Putting a trembling hand to her mouth, she pushed herself up from the ground. _I must get away from here before they find me._

'What have we got here...'she turned swiftly to the cackling voice. The monster was staring at her with a leering grin on his disfigured head. She would have screamed if she had any voice left. 'What a pretty piece of meat just for me...' He edged closer, pulling out a jagged, blood covered blade out of it's sheath.

Her instincts kicking in, she threw herself into a run. She didn't need to think, her fear was pushing her harder and harder, just when she seemed to lose all strength she heard the cackle behind her and ran even faster. Too late she realized she was back at the river , she stumbled and slipped on the mud, falling on her knees. Her chest heaved heavily as she thought of an escape. Should she go into the river? She was never a good swimmer, the beast would get to her or she would drown on her own..._Too late. _She heard that horrible laugh again and turned around, shielding her face with her hands in fear. There was a swing and the sound of a blade cutting through the air. The dagger pierced through white linen and sun kissed skin right into the heart of the young girl. The fires were dancing in her eyes for a moment and then her dead body fell into the water with a splash. The orc contemplated the dark water in mistrust before turning back to the village to get his share of plunder.

* * *

There was a blinding light, so bright she could see it with eyes closed. Her body felt weightless, floating towards the source of this light. _Is this death?_ She wondered.

_**No , child. You are alive and your fate is now in my hands.**_

Her heart skipped_. This voice...How can a voice sound so sorrowful yet so beautiful?_ She cracked her eyes open and a cry escaped her lips as she looked upon her face. It was a beauty her mind could never be able to imagine. She lay on the woman's palms, bare and crying.

_**Hush, child. Do not weep, for I have already wept all the tears for you.**_

A golden tear slid down the woman's cheek and fell onto her breast. The girl watched the wound over her heart close up and heal. She looked up into the glowing eyes in wonder. _Who are you?_

_**I am Nienna. And you are now my daughter. I name you Ara, for you are my gift to this world. Now live! And carry my love and pity with you.**_

One more tear fell onto her chest.

* * *

She broke the surface of the water, fighting for breath. She swung an aching arm through the water, and another and again. She fought her way through the current and to the shore. Digging her fingers into the muddy river floor, she pulled herself to the shoreline and stood up on shaky legs. She was aware of her right hand clutching something tightly, something warm and reassuring. She looked down at her hand and saw a faint golden light seeping through her fingers. Without a thought, without any feeling , she started towards the destroyed village. Her legs were aching, it took all of her strength to lift her feet up from the ground. Her dress hung in wet strips around her legs. She felt empty. And she continued on towards the remains of her home. Until she stood before it. Close enough to smell the burning flesh and wood. Close enough to be seen by the orcs. There she stood and remembered...

...Her gentle father, who passed away too soon, her beloved mother who fought with her sickness and her grief, her best friend and first love, her silly, lighthearted group of friends...

The monsters were edging closer, sharpening their swords at the sight of this young, fresh piece of meat.

...All these little moments that seemed so ordinary and boring now meant everything to her. And she would never be able to relive them...

She felt the stinging pain in her heart, she felt the numbness being lifted from her. Her hand trembled and clutched the burning stone painfully. Hot tears ran down her face once again. She screamed and waved her hand slicing the air. She screamed and cried out again and again, waving her arm as if hitting an invisible enemy. And where her hand passed, a sizzling burst of hot golden fire flew through the air, lighting the orcs aflame. A fire that burned right through their flesh and bone. She closed her eyes screaming out in rage and sorrow and regret and burning everything in front of her alive.

Until she had no more strength.

She fell to the ground, unconscious.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

Year 2850 of The Third Age of the Sun

Gandalf puffed out a few circles of smoke, scratching his beard in thought. He sat with his back against an old dried up tree trunk, seemingly relaxed, yet all the Old Toby of this world couldn't calm his tingling nerves. His cart was just a few yards away, with his horse pulling at the stringy, scarce grass. He took a deep pull from his pipe and let the smoke creep out slowly from his nostrils. Lady Galadriel's voice rang through his head.' _Look to the east, for something of great consequence for our world may appear. I do not know what it is, as that time has yet to pass, but the signs are all clear, and same as before._'

'_As before? Has this thing already happened through the history of Middle Earth?'_ he wondered. He didn't need to voice his thought, she could see the question in his mind and she smiled.

'_Do you not remember how you came to this world, Mithrandir? Together with the other Istari. I remember how the World stood still, two thousand years ago, silent and waiting.'_

Could it be true? Should he let himself hope that the Valar have sent another Wizard into the world to help them defeat the remaining servants of Sauron? And if it is true, then it could only mean that these hundreds of peaceful years were only the calm before the storm_. A great darkness is rising_. He looked over the Anduin to the wastelands of the Brown Lands with a great unease. If this is some thing of great power, then the fact that it was coming from the east truly troubled him. Nothing good could come from that side of the world, especially not with Mordor this close. A thought nagged at him. Could it be his two fellow wizards returning? He shook it off. Alatar and Pallando have been lost in the east for more than a thousand years, it is more probable that they are dead. He gave a deep sigh and put the forgotten pipe back into his mouth. There was no point in turning these thoughts over until he went mad. There was now nothing else to do but to sit and wait for this thing to come, whether it is good or bad.

A deep pull from the pipe.

The smoke seeped into his lungs and he felt his eyelids falling slightly. He let the smoke glide out of his mouth and watched it disappear in the warm summer breeze. The stars shone brightly, their reflection blinking on the dark surface of the water.

Another pull. The last remains of the leaves burned away in his pipe. Soon he will have to refill it. But for now he was content just sitting here, letting his tense shoulders relax.

He took the last deep pull from his pipe. The leaves burned down and the little spark of fire in the pipe died out.

Silence.

The smoke got stuck in his throat. There were so sounds, the surface of the river was a dark mirror. The only sound in his head was his heart beating. A slow thump, thump, thump...and nothing.

There was a moment that might have seemed as ordinary as it can be to thousands of the men of Middle Earth. Yet someone with the sensibility of an elf, or perhaps a wizard could feel it. It seemed as if, for a moment, the time has stopped.

And just as fast it has passed and Gandalf was on his hands and knees, coughing out the smoke that was choking him. He wiped his mouth and stood up, alert. His heart was now pumping twice as fast. After a few moments he turned to his things, picking up the fallen pipe from the ground and his few belongings. He threw them into the back of the cart hastily, grabbed his staff and prodded his horse with it. 'Come on,boy. It is time to move on.'

He grabbed his reins and pulled the horse slowly forward, the cart trailing after. They came to the edge of the river and he stood there, uncertainly. He dared not venture south, closer to Mordor, yet if he went too far to the north he could come upon the Mirkwood elves, who would want to see what is happening for themselves. He really wanted to avoid having to tell king Thranduil more things than he should know. But first off, he had to find a crossing over the river.

As if to answer all of his questions, a bright light blazed in the distance, just a bit further up the river. He didn't need more signs, with a great haste he jumped into his cart and flicked the reins, spurring the horse into a gallop.

* * *

Noon has long passed and his bottom was sore from sitting in the cart all night. The blazing sun that was setting his neck and shoulders on fire wasn't helping much either. He let his hat fall forward, shielding his eyes from the sun's glare. The tough brown dirty ground was uneven and made his cart bump ever so often, but it was much less uncomfortable now that the weary horse has slowed down.

It took him quite some time to find a bridge over the river. And that rickety thing could barely be called a bridge, he was lucky it didn't break down under the weight of his cart. But what concerned him was the rising water of the river. It was already splashing at his horse's hooves when they crossed the bridge. Soon the water level will rise over the bridge and he would have to find another crossing over the river.

So far there were no signs of life on this side of the Anduin, apart from a few patches of yellowed grass that have appeared lately. As far as he knew, there was a slim chance that he might come upon some smaller human settlements. If those villages still exist. These lands were mostly uninhabited since the first rise of Sauron, but he has heard of some refugees from the destroyed town of Dale turning south to the Brown Lands.

The grass grew a bit greener and thicker, as he went more to the north. He took off his pointed hat and wiped his sweaty forehead with the edge of his gray robe. He thanked the gods for the slight cooling breeze coming from the river. He considered lighting his pipe, but then shook that thought off after remembering that uncomfortable moment from last night. And anyways, he was running out of pipeweed, he might as well visit the Shire once again. A smile crept to his face at this thought. He has missed the loud, merry hobbit folk.

The scenery turned to a vast green field. One lonely, probably runaway sheep was grazing the grass. Gandalf wrinkled his brow at it thoughtfully. _Where there are sheep, there must be men close by._ He chuckled at his own thought, urging the horse into a trot.

'Just a bit further,boy. I know you are tired, let us hope we'll find a nice stable for you soon.' But the next thing he saw made his heart drop like a stone.

Just behind a small green hill, a gruesome sight emerged. The sight of a village, destroyed and burned down to ashes. Fear gripped him, his worries about this thing coming from the east seemed to be justified. This thing...it could not have destroyed the whole village. He slid out of his cart, gripping his staff.

He watched carefully for what seemed like an hour. His nerves were tingling as he listened carefully.

There was no sound. The scene lay still and solemn. After deciding that whatever did this seemed to be gone, he walked slowly down to investigate. He was still gripping his staff with both hands in front of him. It seemed calm, but he shouldn't let his guard down so easily

As he came closer it became apparent that this was caused by that light which he saw last night. The remains were fresh and it reeked of blood and fire. Flies were buzzing around the scarce pieces of flesh that were not charred. The houses were burned to the ground, being obviously made of wood. Only their foundations remained, covered in ashes. The wizard bit the inside of his mouth, his hands shaking_. What monster could have done this. _He let his head fall on his shoulders in sorrow.

There was another body in front of his feet. Blackened and covered in soot. The sun blinked at him from it's head. He scowled at it. _A helmet? _There could not have been many warriors in this simple village. He crouched down to it, slapping off the ashes and covering his mouth. A repulsive smell wafted up.

_This is not a human...it is an orc._

He stood up quickly, and started turning over bodies with his foot as he went deeper into the village. There were as many human bodies as those of orcs. He let a tendril of hope sneak into his heart. _Perhaps this thing is not completely evil...perhaps it was fighting the orcs and burned down the village without any true intent. Or...could it be..._He turned over a body of a woman. There was a jagged, rusty orcish blade stuck in her stomach_. Perhaps, the orcs have already slaughtered the people when this person set them all ablaze. By the gods..._

He came to a sudden halt in the centre of the village. It obviously used to be some sort of gathering square, but now it was no different from the rest of the ruined village. But what caught his attention was the bright patch of white, a striking contrast to the blackened ground on which it was laying. He edged towards it, holding his breath, until it became clear to him.

It was a young girl, clad in what seemed like a white Gondorian sleeping gown. Her skin was not burned, except by the sun in which she seemed to be laying all day. _She is breathing! _He wondered if she was really sleeping, out here, on a pile of bones and ash. Something about this picture hurt him deeply.

'Child...' he put one hand on her shoulder, his voice full of grief.

One murky green eye opened slowly from between strands of dark hair, and closed again. Her face blank, she merely turned a bit and hid her face in the ash.

* * *

The cart trudged and occasionally bounced over rocks sticking out of the dried ground. Her head bounced on his shoulder at the same time. She has not spoken a word all this time. He had tried to talk to her, to help her get up but she didn't respond. In the end he picked her up and carried her to his cart. One thing was for sure, he had to get her away from that place. She remained in her sleep-like state, sometimes opening her eyes just for a few seconds. Gandalf avoided her empty stare. Instead he went on talking in his most jovial voice. He was hoping to get a reply, but the longer he talked the more he started to wonder if she was mute.

'Look you can see the Mirkwood forest in the distance. But we will not go that way. I am hoping to find a crossing over the river. Do you know, by any chance, of a bridge in these parts? No? Well then...let us hope to find a place where the water is shallow enough to cross.'

He watched her from the corner of his eye. She did not move or indicate in any way that she has heard him. She only kept clutching that thing in her hands as if her life depended on it. It looked like some sort of semi-precious stone, tear-shaped and barely bigger than her palm. But he knew it was no ordinary stone. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. _A familiar feeling..._He glanced at his staff. _Could this girl be...?No. She seems too young and frail to carry such a burden. _And after all, the Istari were sent out amongst the people in the form of old men for a reason.

'Are you hungry? Thirsty? There is a flask of water next to you, you are free to drink it.' She didn't move.

Gandalf sighed and watched the sun setting on the horizon.

* * *

She woke up in the middle of the night. She didn't sleep long but it was the first time she has actually slept since last night, if you don't count being unconscious for a few hours. Her stomach woke her up. She was starving.

She got up, pulling off the scratchy blanket with which the old man covered her. There was a piece of some strange looking bread on a big meaty leaf laid out near her head, and a big red apple and flask of water next to it. She picked up the bread and turned it over in her hand suspiciously. Her stomach grumbled angrily at the sight of how small the piece is, but she shrugged it off. The poor old man probably didn't have enough for himself either. She bit off a chunk and blinked, surprised at the tastiness of the strange bread. Hungrily, she stuffed the rest of it into her mouth and chewed on it, reaching for the flask. Her throat was so dry and aching she barely managed to swallow the mouthful, washing it down with water. She picked up the apple and walked past the sleeping old man. His back was leaning on the side of the cart, his strange hat covering his eyes and snores rumbling in his chest. The horse whinnied at the sight of her apple but stayed in place. The sight of him brought up memories that sent a stinging pain through her heart. It was still too fresh. She gave her apple to the horse who ate it nosily. She couldn't see the wizard's lips stretch into a slight smile under the shadow of his hat.

She looked down the river, to the south. It seemed so far away, that last night when she sat with hem next to the river. Her dream had turned into a nightmare and now...now she was just waiting to wake up from it. She had nowhere to go. If that strange vagabond hadn't taken her with him, she would have stayed there, in the ruins of her home. She felt lost. But not in a good way. How many times she has dreamed of going out into the world, getting lost in strange and wonderful places, and finding her way out only thanks to sheer luck and her love for adventure. But this was nowhere near to those dreams. Instead of leaving Faygate hand in hand with Rem, with the cheers and support of their neighbors and family, she had to go alone, leaving their dead bodies behind.

Rem...he was so full of life...so handsome and young, the whole world before him. And her poor mother...had she not gone through enough in her life? She would have died from her sickness anyways; everyone knew it, why did she have to be gutted in her sleep by orcs, instead of passing away peacefully...Her mother used to say that we cannot change our fate, for the gods are weaving everyone's destiny. What cruel gods choose to do this and keep her alive after? It is better that she died with them that night. She gripped her hands into fists, angry tears streaming down her face. _Curse them and their pity! _She sobbed. Guilt was gnawing at her and she knew that was a lie, because she remembered that heartbreaking happiness she felt when Life flew back into her veins. But for now she pushed the guilt down, for now she was angry and the wounds were all being reopened again, bringing back the pain. She sobbed and fell to the ground, weeping.

A hand landed on her shoulder. And a heavy weight fell into her lap. She gripped the glowing stone as if her life depended on it, it's warmth seeping into her hands reassuringly.

'Hush, child.' the hand stayed on her shoulder until her sobs died out.

'You should get some rest now. Soon it will be a new day.'


	3. Chapter 3

My thanks to everyone who favorited/followed/reviewed my story it really means so much ^^ I'm pretty sure if it wasn't for you guys I wouldn't have written another word of it after the first chapter xD

This chapter kind of stretched out and I didn't even get to all of those things that I intended to put in it so you can expect the next chapter to be a lot more dynamic :D

And as it turned out I will need just a bit more than 3 chapters to get the story going before I start with the Hobbit storyline. I really want to work out some details to make the main character and the story itself more real.

I was also in a dilemma about whether I should follow the book or the movie version but I think now that I will make a compromise and use both of them.

And yes, I really couldn't resist throwing in Boromir's famous 'One does not simply...'

I hope you'll like it, please review :) !

* * *

Chapter three

The sun was already high up in the sky and Gandalf wondered if he should wake the girl up or let her rest a bit more. He had set up their camp at the foot of a smaller hill, with a few bushes of some long yellowed grass hiding them from sight. But their nice shade had already disappeared, and soon it will get too hot to stay in this place. He decided it would be better if he woke her up now so that they could return to the side of the river. He crouched down to her sleeping form and nudged her shoulder softly. She pulled her head up and blinked at him a few times, before sitting up.

'Good morning, child.' he smiled at her.

'Good morning.' she replied without looking at him, stretching her sore neck. He raised his eyebrows at this. It was the first time she said something. He handed her a piece of lembas bread and turned to find the flask when he heard her voice again.

'My name is Ara.' her voice was quiet and hoarse. Gandalf felt it would indeed be a good morning. He took the flask out of his bag and a piece of pale cloth out of his bag.

'That is a pretty name. Although not very common amongst men... Did you know that it means 'gift' in the old elvish tongue?' he chuckled and handed her the flask. 'I am afraid I do not have anything else to offer you but bread and water right now.'

'Thank you.' She looked at the cloth confusedly when he put it in her lap. When she opened it she also found a hardened bar of soap.

'I thought you might want to wash yourself. You can go down to the river while I pack up the things.'

She nodded in thanks, stood up silently and went down to the river. He watched her disappearing. She had taken the stone with her.

He rolled up the blankets and packed everything hastily. He was putting it into the cart when he heard a scratching sound. On guard, he turned around with his staff gripped tightly. But it turned out to be merely a rabbit hopping through the dry grass. After a moment of thought, he hit it with the end of his staff with surprising speed for a seemingly old man as him. He picked up the motionless rabbit by his foot. _Well there is our breakfast. He might as well have hopped right into my stomach_. He chuckled to himself. Laying the rabbit on the ground, he decided to go find some dry enough grass for the fire first before skinning him

* * *

Her mother's dress was ruined beyond repair. The ends we ripped , it had black spots of sooth and grime all over, and it had entirely lost it's white color. Still, she took it off and washed it carefully. Laying it on the grass to dry, next to her shiny rock , she went back into the water with the bar of soap and started lathering her skin with it. She had never been so dirty in her life. And she had never cared less either. Her hand moved in a rhythmical, almost mechanical circular motion. She had turned to doing things this way, without much thinking. It was easier and less painful not to think. Her attention turned to the scar on her chest. She has caught herself touching it unconsciously over her dress a few times. It felt strange, looking at it. An arrow in the heart...Had she really died that night? Or has this woman saved her before she did. She looked down at the water splashing at her waist. She should really wash her head...but the thought of going completely underwater gave her the creeps. After a few moments of contemplation, she threw herself into the water.

That silence...suddenly she thought of water filling her mouth and lungs and she pushed herself off the slick river floor, emerging and gasping for air. She swam to the shore quickly, grabbed her dress and stood there breathing deeply until she regained her wits. Putting it on, she wiggled her feet into her simple brown leather shoes and went back to the camp, throwing the rock back and forth between her hands and wondering if it ever got cold.

Upon arriving at the camp site, she noticed that everything had been put back neatly into the cart. Except...she edged closer and saw a ball of grey fur in the middle. Curious, she walked to it and crouched down. It was a rabbit. He must have been hurt, because he was breathing fast and excited and his leg was bent at an odd angle. Looking at him made her sad. _Poor little fellow_. One terrified eye stared at her. His little chest rose up and down rapidly. She remembered her mother...sweating and breathing hard, coughing out blood into her hand. Her art ached.

Without thinking she laid her left hand onto his leg, the stone in her right hand glowing softly. His eyes closed and his breathing slowed down. Suddenly his eyes sprang open and he started kicking his little legs in the air.

* * *

Gandalf couldn't find anything that would make a good fire and decided it would be better if he just saved the rabbit for their lunch. After all they were nearing the Mirkwood forest, soon there will be more trees around so he should have no trouble finding some dry branches. He hurried back to the camp, not wanting to leave the girl alone for too long. As the camp came into his sight, his eyebrows sprang up in surprise. The girl was sitting on the ground, smiling and the rabbit was hopping around her in circles. He pushed through the yellowed bush. 'What did you do!' he bellowed. The rabbit ran off.

She looked up at him, confusion and fear in her eyes. Her mouth opened and closed.

'You brought our breakfast back into life!'

She stared at him incredulously. 'Breakfast? No...' she stuttered. 'He was only hurt...I am sorry I didn't know!'

'You are not a sheltered Gondorian girl. Surely you must know how people get the meat they eat...they kill it!'

Ara turned red. 'I know! I just couldn't look at him, it made me sad!' she huffed and looked at the ground.

Gandalf's eyes softened. 'All right, never you mind.'

'I have watched people skinning, butchering and roasting animals before, of course...it just always made me feel uneasy.'

He watched her in silence for a moment.

'But how did you do that?'

She merely shrugged her shoulders.

* * *

She seemed to have returned back into her shell after that moment, speaking only when spoken to, answering with curt replies but mostly staying silent. They have only made a pause once, when she caught some fish in the river, sticking it with the end of a long branch that she sharpened herself, using Gandalf's knife. She explained that she often used to watch the men in her village fishing. He assumed it was her way of apologizing for what happened earlier. Meanwhile he continued mulling over the thoughts in his head and watching her. There was no mistake now. Whether she was really an Istar or something entirely else, she definitely possessed some kind of power. Or was her stone the only source of power? He wanted to inspect it more closely but he was afraid of how she might react if he asked for it. After all, she barely parted from it. His thought turned to Radagast the Brown. He was the only person he knew of, who could heal animals in such a manner. Perhaps her power was similar to his and in that case he should best bring her to him. He scrunched his eyebrows. And that meant they could not avoid the Mirkwood forest. Or perhaps he should summon the White Council to solve this riddle.

'What is that?' she pointed to the dark line in the distance.

'It used to have a different name long ago, but today it is known as the Mirkwood is also where the elven kingdom of king Thranduil lies.' He was surprised but happy that she finally chose to speak to him.

'So there really are elves? Will we meet any?'

'I think we should turn north-west soon and travel between the forest and the Anduin. I would rather try to avoid the Mirkwood elves.'

'Why? Are they evil? I heard that elven women seduce men with heir magic and then leave them to wonder the forests aimlessly, never remembering a thing from their old life.'

'No they are not evil.' he chuckled. 'They are just terribly nosy. And some of them can be a bit rude. But you should forget all the stories you have heard about elves, they are mostly untrue.'

'So what if they're just nosy. Can you not tell them to mind their own business?'

'One does not simply tell king Thranduil that. Besides...there is another reason. I fear to enter the forest here, from the south. Strange things have been sighted near the old fortress Dol Guldur...dangerous things. Long ago a great evil took residence in the fortress. He was banished, but lately there have been dark signs...all hinting that he might have returned.' He finished off grimly. Out of the corner of his eye he saw goosebumps on the skin of her arms. He was not quite sure why he was telling her this, he did not go around telling every person the latest worries of the council. _But if she is what she seems to be...she should know._

'You are not a simple travelling storyteller, aren't you...there is something you haven't told me about you.' she shot him a suspicious look.

'Ah, yes.' he smiled down at her.' I also sell fireworks. I would not want to boast but I have heard people calling them the most wonderful fireworks in Middle Earth.'

* * *

They were nearing the forest slowly. Gandalf was purposefully slowing their pace down with each day. The river was turning deeper and wilder and he doubted that they would find any most sensible thing to do at the moment would be to turn to Lothlorien, but even the elves did not send any boats across the river when it was this wild. But they were running out of supplies and he knew they wouldn't come across any towns east of Anduin if they took the path north. The only person he could hope to meet up with now and get some help from was Radagast, who lived in the south of Mirkwood. The silhouette of the forest seemed gloomy and gave him a strange foreboding feeling and he wanted to postpone that moment when they will inevitably have to enter it. Besides, he found that each day the girl opened up to him a bit more. And she cried less in the night.

Today they spent most of their time sitting in the camp, with him telling stories and her asking a lot of question. She had that thirst for stories and legends of old, and that glint in her eye which made every storyteller enjoy their work. He noticed she had a special liking for love stories and poems. _Like any girl at her age. _He chuckled to himself, smoking his pipe and studying her carefully.

She talked very little about herself and she avoided talking about her past or her home, which made perfect sense considering what happened not so long ago. So far he knew that she was a curious girl, who always had something to ask about and something to doubt. She liked music and singing, although she did not know many songs. He promised to teach her some. She was polite, in that simple way of ordinary folk, and spoke plainly and honestly, sometimes in a very blunt fashion. She did not know how to read or write, as was to be expected, but he doubted she would refuse if he offered to teach her. She did as she was told without any complaint and did not tire easily. He assumed it was because of her way of life.

'Ouch! Curse it!' she yelped, hopping and glaring at the fire.

Sadly, she also seemed to have two left feet.

All in all, she seemed an ordinary girl. Even in her looks there was nothing special. One could say that she is pretty...but still far from beautiful. She had dark brown hair, almost black, muddy green eyes framed by dark lashes, lips that were too big to be considered beautiful by most people and her nose was just a bit too wide and flat. Also, her skin was brown and dry from living under the hot sun that always seemed to shine in the Brown Lands.

'Did you not find it strange that I never asked you where we are going?' she asked him.

'Not in the least. The best adventures start by not knowing where you are going.'

She smiled a bit.

'I did not care at first. I didn't even think about that...I didn't want to think about anything really.' he watched her silently. 'But now I am curious. Do you really have no idea of where we are going?'

'I was trying to decide which way would be the best one to take. Right now our options seem a bit limited, I must admit. I think it would be best if we visited my old friend Radagast. He lives on the southern edge of Mirkwood. He would give us a warm welcome, I am sure.'

He saw her opening and closing her mouth uncertainly. She was fidgeting for a few moments. 'Thank you.' she blurted out.

'No problem, my dear. May I ask for what?'

'For being there that day...I..' she swallowed, dropping her gaze to the ground.'I would have surely starved to death or worse. I was...lost...I had nowhere to go-'

'Hush!' he cut her off. 'You have no need to thank me for that. Do not trouble yourself, Ara.'

'I must have had great fortune to be found by you. Our village was small and unknown, we would see a travelling merchant or storyteller once in a few years if we had luck. And everyone else was..' she swallowed hard. 'Dead.'

'I wonder what brought you there.' she looked up and met his gaze.

He smoked his pipe thoughtfully before answering.

'I was waiting for you.'

They watched each other in silence. He could not quite discern the emotion in her eyes. Was it wonder or fear? There was the question that was bothering him from the beginning. He hoped he had found the right moment to ask it.

'I must ask you, Ara.' he leaned closer, looking straight into her eyes. 'What happened that night?'

She turned her head to the side and looked into the distance. She was silent and the fire was dancing in her eyes, shiny with held back tears. When it seemed she wouldn't respond, her quiet voice broke the silence.

'They came in the night, burning and killing as they went. It was the night of the festival; most people were in deep sleep, filled with wine and ale. And anyway there was nobody who could have defended us. There were a few men who knew how to wield a sword. The rest of us were just ordinary folk, only good at fishing and keeping sheep.' she paused and swallowed. 'I could not sleep that night, I was down by the river when I heard the screams and shouts. I ran back and saw fire burning away my home, those horrible monsters slaughtering my neighbors.' tears were running down her face but she breathed in deeply and went on.' I did not know what to do, I was screaming and crying...I could not do anything, I could only stand and watch!' She sobbed. He put his hand on her shoulder but she shaked her head and continued. 'That is when one of them saw me. He started chasing me and I ran. I didn't know where to go I ran down to the river without thinking, but...when I got to it I realized I was trapped...I turned around and...he shot me.'

Gandalf's eyes widened in shock.

'You were shot! Why did you not tell me foolish girl, the wound must be infected by now!' His eyes turned the washed out spot of blood on her chest. He did not think it was be hers before.

She shaked her head silently and pulled the top of her dress a bit lower. A pale scar ran down the skin of her chest. Gandalf stared at it, his mind reeling. This could not be true. Had she healed herself? It was obviously a recent scar, and his jagged shape showed it could have been no light scratch, but a deep wound. _Right into the heart..._

'She healed me.' his head shot up.

'Who?'

'Nienna.'

He fell back, staring at her intently. He knew that name,of course he did. She had been his mentor and that was perhaps the only thing he could remember of his existence before he was sent to Middle Earth. _The Lady of Mercy, as she is also called..._

'There is only one that I know of, who goes by that name. And she is a Goddess, one of the Valar who stand watch over our world.' he watched for her reaction intently.

She shook her head slowly. 'That is what I thought too when I saw her first but...I still cannot believe it. Why would gods meddle in the life of someone as unimportant as me?' she scowled in thought.

'You are too young to know what is truly important in this world. And do not doubt that the gods do watch and care for us all, even though they cannot always keep us safe from harm.' His eyes pierced into hers. 'Tell me what happened after! Did you kill those orcs?' he leaned closer, the fire was throwing dancing shadows onto his wrinkled face.

She shrugged. 'I don't remember anything after. Only...bright golden flames flying all around me.'

Not the answer he had wanted to hear but he nodded, satisfied. He could sense nothing but honesty in her words.

'Whoever did this to me...I am thankful, but I still think they picked the wrong person.' She stood up. 'I would like to go to sleep now, if you don't mind.'


	4. Chapter 4

We likess the reviewses, yes yes, it makes us write all night, doesn't it preciouss!

Originally, I wrote a bit more than this and there was supposed to be another big part of this chapter. Well...that was before I went all herpderp and closed the document without saving. I nearly cried.

Well I hope you'll enjoy this anyway!

* * *

Chapter four

She was sitting in the cart next to Gandalf, clutching the grey cloak which was draped around her shoulders. The nights were turning slowly colder and now that they entered the forest, her thin dress wasn't nearly enough to keep her from shivering. She didn't like it in here. The days were dark, cold and damp and the nights just a bit darker. She had turned to watching Gandalf, not only because she had noticed him studying her a few times and because she knew there was more to him than he was letting on, but also because she sensed his edginess since they entered the forest. He was always looking around them into the darkness, never staying in one place for too long. It had been almost a whole day and they have barely stopped once.

The stone was hanging around her neck, warming her chest. Gandalf had given her a piece of string and she wrapped and netted it around the stone. It didn't look very pretty or skillfully made but at least she didn't have to carry it in her hand all the time.

'Listen carefully now, Ara.' it felt strange, hearing him call her that. She still didn't understand why she told him this name that day.

'Do not wonder off away from me while we are here. You might think that you know your way, but the forest will trick you easily. Do not drink any water, or eat anything you find before showing it to me first. Understood? We will make a camp soon.' she nodded.

'I have sent a message to my friend Radagast.' she looked at him oddly. She did not see him do anything! 'I think it is safe to say that we will meet him as soon as tomorrow. We have travelled a long distance today.'

_No wonder, with the pace you have forced onto that poor horse._ Gandalf was running as if his bottom was set on fire, as Rem would say. _Rem_...her heart wrenched.

'This place seems good enough.' he flicked the reins and they stopped moving. 'Unroll the blankets while I start a fire.' he jumped out of the cart and she did as she was told.

'Do you have any apples for Toby?' she asked him.

He looked at her strangely and she pointed at the horse.

'Oh you gave him a name...well, look under that brown blanket.' he went back to his work while she rummaged through the back of the cart. There were only two dried up apples left. She picked one and let the horse eat it out of her hand, petting him with her other one.

'Curse it! There are not enough dry branches here.' Gandalf hesitated for a moment.' Do not move, I will be back in a minute!' with that he disappeared into the bushes.

She turned back to Toby, petting him and trying to ignore her unease. She did not like how silent this forest always was, it was unnerving. She started humming a simple melody to herself, as if it could push away the darkness.

The horse whinnied and backed away from her.

'Shh, Toby, come back!' a foreboding feeling was gnawing at her insides.

Suddenly the horse screamed and raised itself on its hind legs, eyes rolling in their sockets. She turned around. There were dozens of shiny little eyes, blinking in the darkness.

'Leave us alone, nosy elves!' her voice wavered, heart beating fast.

There was a scattering sound, a hiss and the horse's scream was cut off. She turned around and fell back on the ground, screaming in fear. A monster had grabbed the horse from behind, huge fangs stuck deep into his neck. He started pulling the motionless horse back into the darkness.

'Toby!' she screamed after him. There were more hissing sounds and she turned around just in time to see the huge black spiders nearing. One of them raised itself over her head and she covered herself with her arms, screaming.

She felt burning warmth on her chest and the blinding light of the stone made the spiders fall back, squealing in fear. She yanked the stone off of her neck and stood up on shaky legs, holding it in front of her.

'Stay back!' she raised her hand a bit more and the spiders scattered around her uncertainly. Gathering up what little courage she had, Ara took a small step forward, about to shout at them again.

But instead she screamed as one of them grabbed her from behind with its long hairy legs. She wiggled in its grasp trying to free herself and shrieked in fear and pain when its fang sliced the skin on the base of her neck. Blood dribbled down her chest. Desperately, she threw her hand back and hit it with the stone. It fell back, shrieking horribly with its head on fire. But the others were moving back, closing in around her. She stood nailed to the ground, holding the stone with shaking hands in front of her.

Whoosh! A bright blue flame flew past her and set one of the creatures on fire. Gandalf appeared, waving his staff around, lighting everything on fire. In his other hand there was a long sword, hacking and slashing the spiders' legs.

'Gandalf!' she cried in relief. He hacked his way through the spiders and ran up to her.

'Go back to where you came from, vile spawns of Ungoliant!' there were too many of them, jumping out of trees and crawling swiftly towards them.

'What should we do?' Ara whimpered.

'There is only one thing left to do. RUN!' he yanked her after him.

They could hear the spiders close behind them as they ran between the trees. She stumbled a few times, branches and thorns cutting her dress and legs but Gandalf pulled her up quickly and they continued running. She was breathing painfully hard, her body aching and exhausted. Her vision was starting to blur.

Suddenly he stopped and she ran into his back. Looking over his shoulder she saw a wall of spiders before them. The stood back to back as the monsters slowly closed the circle around them.

'Use your powers!' Gandalf shouted over his shoulder.

'I can't! I don't know how!' she sobbed.

'You can! Do you want to live or die?' he shouted back angrily.

She wanted to live. Just like that night on the river.

A spider leaped at her and she waved her hand desperately, the stone leaving a burning trail. It shrieked and rolled back, but another was in its place in a moment. She managed to keep a few spiders away, but her hand was moving slower and slower as she was beginning to breathe harder.

There was the sound of horse hooves hitting on the ground and soon followed the terrified shrieks and squeals of the spiders. But the sounds were all getting mixed up in her head, making it throb in pain.

'Elves!' Gandalf alerted her and soon enough they came riding into the clearing, shooting down and slicing open the spiders. It seemed to her that they were glowing faintly in the darkness but she could not be sure, because her vision was growing more and more blurry by the second, and she found it hard to stop her eyes from closing.

She managed to light one more spider on fire before another grabbed her from behind. The stone fell out of her hand and rolled on the grass. She tried to fight but she found it hard to breathe. Her sight went double, then back into one picture and then the ground went up and everything went black.

* * *

'Ara!' Gandalf shouted after her. The spider was dragging her limp form back into the bushes. He pulled his sword out of the last spider that he killed.

'We must save the girl!' He ran after her and elves trailed after him, fighting off the spiders. He was slowly losing sight of her as new spiders fell out of trees in front of them. The elves shot most of them down, but he still had to spend some time fighting off the rest. As they continued forward ,the forest grew less dense.

'We are nearing the fortress!' One of the elves shouted.

They hacked through the last mob of spiders when they started scattering away, back into the darkness. They came out into a clearing; the clearing around the fortress of Dol Guldur. A trail from a body being dragged on the ground went up into the fortress.

'We will not go into the fortress.' the elven leader declared.

'You would not have me go in there alone!' Gandalf shouted angrily.

'It is cursed. And the girl would probably be dead by now. Turn back with us Mithrandir, we have healers who will tend to your wounds.'

'I cannot! You may help me or go your own way!' he was furious.

After a moment of hesitation, the elf replied. 'We will wait here for you, but we will not take a step further.'

Gnashing his teeth, Gandalf turned and ran up the hill into the old fortress.

* * *

Ara woke up feeling dizzy and cold. She sat up slowly and painfully. It took her a moment to remember what had happened. Looking around and letting her eyes adjust to the darkness she realized she was in some large stone room...no...it looked more like a dungeon. There were spider-webs and bones all around. She avoided looking at them and hoped that they were not human. Her whole body was aching, especially in one spot on the base of her neck. She untangled one hand from the sticky web that which was wrapped around her body and touched the burning spot. The skin was horribly swollen and shiny. _There must have been poison in their fangs. _At that moment she realized she had dropped her stone and she panicked.

Pulling the webs off of her body, she pushed herself up from the cold stone floor hastily and looked around._ I need to get out of here! _There were two huge arched doors on opposite sides of the room. _Which way should I go?_

A hollow moan came from one corner of the room and she gasped in fright, turning around. She could barely make out a huddled figure in the dark. Edging cautiously closer she noticed the figure was trembling and having grotesque spasms every few moments. It was too small to be a man, yet it obviously wasn't a child. It moaned again.

'Hello? Can I help you?' she asked nervously, taking a step closer and crouching down to it. It was covered in scaly metal armor. _A dwarf? _His face was partially obscured by cobwebs, white hair and a long untamed beard.

Two pale blue eyes opened. He sprang forward with surprising speed and she fell back, yelping in fright.

'Go back to the depths of hell, you foul beast!' he shouted furiously.

She stammered, and pushed herself a bit further away from him.' Wha-'

'Would you like some tea?' his voice was now hushed and raspy.

Ara stared at him incredulously.

'Where were the elves! Where were the elves when they destroyed my home!' another spasm shook his body. 'Indeed, that is a fine axe that you have, milady.'

He continued shouting, then muttering, he tried talking to her in some strange language and then he went silent. He had gone utterly and completely mad, she realized sadly.

Then he sprang up screaming and pulling at his beard.' He is coming! HE IS COMING! he pulled something out from under his scaly breastplate and pushed it into her hand. 'You must give this to my son!' he cried to her. 'FIND MY SON!'

'Give it to whom? Who is your son?' she asked desperately. She clutched that thing in her hand, afraid to look away from his maddened eyes.

He ran and threw himself on the door, banging his fists against it. 'LET ME OUT! LET ME GO!'

Cold sweat broke out all over her skin. Suddenly she felt as if all the warmth and happiness had been sucked out of her body. She trembled and backed away from the door. It flew open with a loud bang, sending the dwarf in the air, before his lifeless body fell to the ground.

There stood a silhouette of a man, made out of shadow and darkness. She fell back on her knees, screaming in horror. His fiery eyes full of hatred seemed to bore right into her soul, shattering every last bit of hope into pieces. He swung his shadowy sword over his head with an enraged howl and charged at her, and she covered her head with her hands and screamed.

But the blow never came. Instead she heard a furious shriek and blue light filled the room. The other door flew open and Gandalf stood there, holding his glowing staff in the air. His voice boomed powerfully and he spoke some words she did not understand. But the wraith did and he screeched in pain. Then he swung his sword and charged again but the wizard threw him back with a move of his staff. With an ear-piercing scream, it flew back into the darkness.

Gandalf ran to her side and pulled her up, gripping her upper arm.

'Hurry! We must leave this place! I do not have the strength to fight him if he should attack again.' he headed towards the door but she pulled at his sleeve and pointed at the dwarf, still unable to form any words.

'He is dead, now hurry!' she ran after him.

The fortress was shaking, pieces of stone were falling at them from the ceiling as they ran. They could hear distant shrieks of rage behind them. It seemed an endless labyrinth, as they turned around corners over and over. The steps bellow their feet were cracking and falling apart as they ran into a long narrow hallway lined with statues. A sword whizzed past her ear and she screamed and ran faster, the statues behind her coming into life and swinging their stone swords at them. She did not know how long it took them to get out, it might have been minutes but it seemed hours to her.

Finally they emerged into the clearing and the elves circled around them.

The last thing she remembered was being pulled up on a horse and the forest flying next to her before she lost her consciousness. A piece of rolled up parchment was clutched tightly in her hand.

* * *

She woke up blinking at canopies of dark green leaves above her. The forest seemed to be a bit lighter in these parts. She pushed herself up carefully but when she realized she felt well and rested, she threw her covers off. Only her throat was a bit sore.

'There is no need to hurry now, lay back.' Gandalf's voice caught her attention. He was sitting with his back against a tree, smoking his pipe. She was happy and relieved to see him and a big smile spread over her face. He smiled back at her. But then she remembered something and sat up straight, scowling.

'Why didn't you tell me you were a wizard?' she demanded.

'Well, you don't believe half of the stories I tell you anyways. Besides, you never asked.' he chuckled.

'If you are referring to the talking birds, then no, I cannot believe in all the things you tell me. And what you mean I never asked? You don't go around asking people if they are wizards!' she huffed.

'_I hope one day you will see the great northern eagles for yourself and then you will believe me.' _her eyes widened in shock. His lips haven't moved one bit and yet she heard his voice in her head. _How did he do that?_

'_I might teach you one day'_ he let out a puff of smoke.

_Yes, please! _She couldn't keep one thought from crossing her mind though; _Can he read my mind all the time?...What if he saw something embarrassing? the tips of her ears turned red._

'_Good gracious heavens, no! It is considered rude to be poking around someone's head just like that.' _she felt relieved.

An elf came forward and she felt her mouth go dry. She didn't have the chance before to look more closely at the elves.

'Ah! This is Gaelon, he is the healer who treated your wounds.' Gandalf introduced him to Ara. She blushed and muttered an awkward 'thank you'.

He said something in elvish, handed her breakfast and walked off briskly.

She stared after him. Just then she noticed the other elves walking or standing silently around the camp and she wondered why she didn't see them before. _They are so beautiful..._

'_There is no need to tell them that, they are haughty enough.'_

_What are you still doing in my head?_

'_I have to tell you something important and I don't want them to hear us talking. Remember, elves have exceptional hearing and you have to be careful what you say around them. It will be suspicious if we stay silent, say something!' _

'I uhh..' she stammered nervously 'The weather seems nice today...' she finished off uncertainly. Gandalf shot her an annoyed look.

'Indeed, it is not as wet and cold anymore.' he replied.

'_They are not very happy with us stirring up trouble.'_

_It's not like it is our fault!_

'_To them it is your fault for wondering into the forest without seeking the audience of king Thranduil first. I have a feeling we will be meeting him soon, whether we want it or not. The Mirkwood elves are a very proud sort.'_

_You mean stuck-up._

She cleared her voice.' Your smoke rings are very pretty.'

Gandalf rolled his eyes. '_Better stay silent. You have not noticed something missing?'_

Her eyes widened.

_My stone! I lost it, it fell out of my hand when-_

'_I know! And the leader of the scouts picked it up. He refuses to give it back until the king has seen it first. No, don't worry now, we will get it back somehow.'_

She let her face go blank and went to eat her breakfast.

'_You also dropped something else, something you brought out of the fortress.'_

_The dwarf gave it to me. It was a dwarf, right? _Gandalf gave a barely noticeable nod. _What is it?_

'_I do not know yet, I had no chance to give it a closer look, with all these elves breathing down my neck. But I suspect it is a map of some sort.'_

There was the sound of horses nearing, and another group of elves came into the clearing. One rider went forward and jumped off of his horse gracefully. Gandalf stood up. _'Get up!' _she heard his voice in her head and scrambled up on her feet.

'Legolas, son of Thranduil, it is very good to see you!' Gandalf said cheerfully and bowed.

The elf bowed back and replied in his own language. For a minute they were talking in that strange language and the elf laughed at something Gandalf had said, before turning his piercing blue gaze on her. Her knees wobbled.

'And this is lady Ara.' Gandalf introduced her. She stood there blushing and bewildered at being called a lady and he gave her small bow.

'My father has sent me to meet up with you and escort safely you to his halls. We will ride out as soon as you pack your things.' and with that he left them.


	5. Chapter 5

Reading through the old chapters, I found quite a lot of mistakes which made me cringe a bit. I apologize for that. Usually I am just too tired after finishing a chapter and I read it automatically, without seeing the mistakes. Obviously, I am still looking for a beta, please pm me if you're interested :)

Also, the lines between parts of the story didn't appear on the site, as they did in the document . I will fix that.

Hope you'll like this chapter, leave a review if you did ^^

Chapter five

Legolas was even more beautiful than the other elves. But as it turned out, he was just as stuck-up. Ara decided she really didn't like elves.

They were travelling for two days now and her bottom was sore from sitting on the horse all day. Legolas had asked her if she knew how to ride a horse and she answered that she did, a bit uncertainly. But obviously elvish horses were taller, faster than old Farks' horse, and also bit intimidating. She fell off like a sack of flour, shortly after she managed to climb up onto its back, so Legolas scolded her for lying and ordered one of his men to carry her on his horse. And he didn't even give her a chance to explain herself! So now here she was, sitting behind one of those perfect elves, all smelly, dirty and ashamed. She was afraid to hold on onto his waist, so she ended up clutching the back of the saddle, which meant she had to lean a bit back. It was very awkward and uncomfortable.

If she was to be honest with herself, the prince has been nothing but polite through their whole trip, he even gave her a long green tunic and breeches to wear. But for now she was set on silently glaring at the back of his head and judging his every move.

Since that time in the camp, Gandalf has appeared in her head only once, to tell her to think more quietly and stop sulking. _How does one think quietly!_? Still, she missed talking to him and listening to his stories.

She was trying not to think about what happened that night in the fortress, remembering it gave her cold shivers. But Ara was getting more and more curious about that mysterious scroll. _That poor dwarf... _She had to remember to ask Gandalf to tell her more about dwarves. After all, she had to find his son, whoever he was. She didn't know why, but she felt that it was something only she could do, as if it was some important quest, trusted solely to her. The last thought was so exciting, she had to stifle a giggle.

Gandalf slowed down his elvish horse until he was riding alongside her.

'The scouts went out to alert the king, we will be reaching the city soon.' he said in a cheerful voice. But in her mind his voice boomed_. 'Mind your manners and leave the talking to me!' _

And soon enough the rushing of a strong river filled the air with noise and the trees around them started to disappear slowly. The water in front of them flowed dark and swift and as they were crossing the strong oaken bridge, an enormous cave rose before them. Ara gasped at the huge gates of carved wood. They were glittering under the afternoon sun and as they neared them, she saw the lines of silver etched in the wood, forming intricate spiraling patterns. The gates opened, seemingly by themselves, with a loud creaking and she gulped nervously. Why did she feel as if the cave was going to swallow them? The great gates closed behind them with a clang.

The long passage was lit with torches. It wasn't straight as one might expect, instead it curved and twisted every so often and all along it branched into smaller passages. Ara wondered how anyone managed to find their way through here. They emerged into a great hall lined with pillars of engraved stone. Everywhere, silver and glittering pale jewels sparkled under the torchlight, and beautiful elven lords and ladies walked and talked quietly. At the far end of the hall, the Elvenking sat on a chair of carved wood, his head adorned with a crown of what looked like silver flowers and long spiny leaves, long platinum hair falling down his shoulders. He got up from his throne and walked towards them slowly and with such grace that is seemed like his feet were barely touching the ground.

Ara , who was still looking around herself in pure awe, did not notice that she and Gandalf were pushed in front of the rest of the group. And that everyone, except her, was bowing low.

Gandalf poked her side with the end of his staff and realizing what everyone was doing, she bowed clumsily next to him. Giggles echoed across the hall. She heard Gandalf's exasperated whisper.' You were supposed to curtsy!' Her ears turned red.

'Mithrandir! It is very good to see you, old friend.' the king's voice echoed across the hall and everyone straightened up from their bows.

'It is an honor to be a guest in your glorious halls once again.' Gandalf replied and Ara wondered about this strange name the king called him.

'And pray tell who this young lady next to you is?' he looked at her, interested. She gulped and blushed under his gaze. He went on, before Gandalf had the chance to reply.' Indeed, I have heard some most intriguing stories about her.' his gaze turned to the wizard, his eyes piercing. 'Stories of deeds as no mortal has ever done. If I did not hear them from my very own scouts, I must admit I would not have believed it.' he finished off with a chuckle, but the halls went deadly silent. For a long moment, the king and the wizard stared into each other's eyes and the air around them turned tense.

'She is my apprentice.' he replied briskly and gasps echoed along the hall. _Am I?_

'Indeed? You must tell me more about this.' he went on. 'But I assume the lady is tired and would want to rest a bit. Show her to the guest room!' he ordered someone from the side, and she was whisked out of the hall by two handmaidens.

* * *

Gandalf sighed to himself impatiently. He was hoping to leave Mirkwood with the girl as soon as possible, but Thranduil insisted they stayed longer. There was just no way he could refuse him without being rude and in that case they will get in real trouble with the elves. He knew why he was being such a gracious host, that fox in elven skin. He was amusing himself with Ara's stone right now, there is no doubt about it. The Elvenking had a weakness for precious gems and this one wasn't only pretty to look at, it was magical too. Gandalf could only hope that he wouldn't find out just how powerful it is. The doors opened and the king walked in, looking very displeased. _You had no luck with the stone, didn't you? _He stifled a chuckle.

'Ah Mithrandir, finally we will get to talk.' he sat down on his throne, leaving the wizard to stand next to him. 'It seems your travels have been rather eventful lately.' he smiled slyly.

'Yes, indeed. Lord Thranduil-'

'King.' he corrected him.

'_King _Thranduil_, _there is an urgent matter that we must speak about. A necromancer has taken residence in the fortress of Dol Guldur-'

'Yes, yes I am aware. But as long as he is not attacking my people, it is not a problem to me.'

Gandalf stared at him incredulously. 'Will you turn a blind eye to the evil that has infested the south of your forest?'

'Enough! I will not risk the lives of my people for that matter. If he should try to harm us, we will confront him. 'He leaned back into his wooden throne.' Let us talk about something else. Tell me, Mithrandir, where did you find that most interesting girl?'

'Ah, her...Well, I found her in a ruined village east of the Anduin, in the Brown Lands. Her home has been raided by orcs, she was the only survivor. Please, do not mention anything to her; the poor girl has been through a lot.'

Thranduil nodded solemnly. 'It is sad, indeed. Although...I wonder how she managed to survive?' he looked him in the eyes, smiling.

Gandalf was worried. _He is far too interested in this._

'Luck, I would say.'

'And something else?' he inquired. 'You see, I was walking in my gardens, not so long ago, and enjoying the fresh summer night, when...' something in his eyes sparkled and his voice went a pitch lower '...there was a peculiar moment. It felt as if everything around me stood silent and waiting. I am sure you must have felt it too! And curiously enough, my scouts from the south have sighted a strange light in the distance at the same time. Coming somewhere from the Brown Lands.' he finished off in an amused tone.

Gandalf stood silently, gritting his teeth.

'And to make matters even more intriguing, you walk into my domain with this odd girl who, as my men have told me, seems to have the power to call upon a divine light and set her enemies ablaze.' his eyes were piercing into his.

'Yes, she is a most special girl. That is why I have taken her for my apprentice. And I intend to present her to the White Council as soon as I can.'

Thranduil's face turned sour at the mention of the council. ' You would not want to leave so soon, friend!' he exclaimed. 'Please, take rest from your journey a bit longer.'

'It is most kind of you.' he bowed shortly. 'If you do not mind, I would like to talk to my apprentice now.' Gandalf turned and walked out of the hall, too impatient to wait for his reply.

* * *

He was Olorin, pupil of Nienna, Manwe and Varda; One of the Maiar, specially chosen by the Valar to help aid the people of Middle-earth in the fight against evil. For almost two thousand years he had fought against the darkness, his many names known and revered by men and elves alike.

And here he was, teaching girls how to curtsy in front of a mirror. It was mildly degrading, to see himself like that.

'Lower your head, no! Don't look up yet. Now hold your skirt our sideways like this.' he pulled his gray robe a bit up.' Now extend one foot behind and bend your knees. Slowly!' he sighed in exasperation.

'Please do it once again, I think I'm getting the hang of it.'

He rolled his eyes and gave a deep curtsy, leaning slightly forward so that the pointed tip of his hat bent over a bit. She giggled and he spun around angrily.

'This is not a game!' he bellowed.

'All right, I'm sorry!' she held her hands up. 'Why are you in such a bad mood?'

'Because-' he looked around, making sure that the handmaidens were gone ' Thranduil refuses to let us go. He may have welcomed and fed us, and put you in a pretty dress, but right now we are not more than prisoners in here.' he watched her eyes widen.

'And there is another matter we must look into.' he walked to the small wooden table and took something out from under his robe. Coming closer, she saw the scroll in his hand.

'The scroll! Gandalf, we must find out who that dwarf is.'

'What did he tell you?' he asked, breaking the seal and unwrapping the piece of string tied around it.

'Nothing of importance. He had completely lost his wits, kept on talking about strange things, but not telling anything.' she explained.

'As I feared, it was too late.' he unrolled the piece of parchment on the table. It was indeed a map. On it was a drawing of a mountain with a dragon above it. All around there were strange markings and runes which Ara could not read. A small path was also drawn, leading to the side of the mountain. And on the map there was a small, strange looking key. Gandalf was silent.

'He told me to give it to his son...' Ara whispered, looking at it. He turned his questioning eyes to her.

'Are you sure?' she nodded.

'That was the only thing he said which made sense. But I do not know who he is, he never told me his name.'

'Seeing this...' Gandalf looked back at the map '...there is no doubt. The dwarf you met was Thrain, son of Thror, the King Under the Mountain.' her eyes widened.

'And this is his mountain?' she asked.

'It used to be. Before the dragon Smaug drove the dwarves out of their home. But that is a story for another time.' he rolled up the map and handed it to her. 'Keep it safe for now. And I will keep this.' he hid the key under his robes.

A knock on the door interrupted them. Two elves walked in and stood next to the door silently.

Gandalf scowled. _Guards?_

'We are here to escort lady Ara to the feast.'

'There is no need, we can find our way to the hall.' he replied briskly.

'King Thranduil insists.'

_Does he?_

'Well then, I will be on my way.' he stormed out of the room.

* * *

Ara was confused. At first she was nervous and just a bit apprehensive about entering the elven city, than it turned to embarrassment at being introduced so awkwardly to the king, but all of that had been forgotten during the time in her rooms.

It was unlike anything she had ever seen, so beautiful and luxurious, she was afraid to touch anything at first. 'Are you sure these are mine?' she asked the handmaidens with eyes like saucers and they giggled and nodded. Then they brought her to the bath and proceeded to take her clothes off, much to her embarrassment. She turned bright red and asked them if they could let her do it herself and they nodded and went to the other part of the great guest rooms. She took off the oversized tunic and breeches, laid them carefully on a chair next to the tub and peeked under the bandage on her shoulder. Her cut was closed and healed, so she peeled the bandage off carefully and eased herself into the pleasantly hot water. But that was when the problem appeared. She could not find a bar of soap. There were some strange looking bottles lined on the edge of the stone tub and an odd brush with a handle as long as her forearm. _Why would anyone brush their hair while washing themselves? Especially with that weird thing... _She wanted to call the handmaidens but she didn't know their names.

'Hello?' she called out nervously and they appeared at the door in a second.

'Could you help me? I can't find the soap. Hey what are you doing, no!' while one of them was busy pouring the sweet-smelling liquid from the bottles into the tub, the other had taken the brush and started rubbing her back. Ara braced herself for the scratchy pain, but the brush turned out to be very soft. Then they poured some more of that liquid onto their hands and started rubbing it into her skin and she watched the bubbles appear. _So that is the soap!_ One handmaiden raised Ara's arm and rubbed at her armpit and she squeaked and pushed herself away from the edge of the tub. 'Please! I can do it myself now, thank you!' they nodded and left. Realizing her water was turning colder, she hurriedly washed the remaining dirt off of herself.

The next shock was the dress laid out on the huge bed. She didn't have any time to admire it, as those horribly pushy handmaidens already started fussing over her. One of them pulled off the cloth that she had covered herself with after getting out of the bath and went to retrieve her dress, leaving Ara to stand in the middle of the room, bright red in face and trying to cover her nakedness with her arms. The other one was rubbing the wet strands of her hair with another piece of cloth. The dress was pushed over her head and the silky white material fell down her body. Well she guessed it was silk as she had never felt a material so fine. They pushed her in front of the mirror and sat her on a chair, working on her hair. She took the chance to gawk at the dress. It was simple in form, the material hugging her waist softly and falling down to the floor without much flare. Tiny, pale jewels adorned the neck of the dress and the wide edges of the sleeves_. I was wearing another white dress not so long ago and I thought that was the most beautiful dress ever..._She pushed the guilt down. The handmaid weaved complicated braids into the top of her hair quickly, leaving the rest of her still a bit damp hair to flow freely down her back. A pair of soft pale slippers were put on her feet. She wiggled her feet and was delighted by the sparkle of tiny gems on them. She was staring at the mirror, still in a state of shock at the way she was quickly handled and dressed. The girl who stared back didn't look anything like her. She didn't notice when the handmaidens curtsied and left her room, silently.

It was then that Gandalf came barging into her room and started drilling court manners into her head. She did not like the look of barely-concealed anger on his face. Actually, his temper has been short since they entered this damned forest and she missed the grandfatherly, warm old man.

When he told her his worries about not being able to leave this place, her mood dropped instantly. She became aware that her anxiety had not disappeared completely over the last hour; she had just been pushing it down.

Ara walked in between the two guards, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Were there really more guards patrolling the passages, or was it just her paranoia? The walk to the main hall seemed an hour long as the silence stretched out. However, her relief upon finally entering it was short-lived as the king stood up and greeted her loudly with delight.

'Ah, lady Ara! Finally you are here, please come sit with us.' the Elvenking entwined his arm with hers and led her to the long wooden table. She was hoping she would go unnoticed through this evening, staying close to Gandalf but now all the eyes in the hall were set on her and she just wished the ground would swallow her whole.

'I must say you look stunning.' he gave her a charming smile. She thanked him quietly but didn't believe it one bit. Seeing all these gorgeous elven ladies around her made her feel like a troll playing dress-up. He led her along the table to the very head of it and showed her the seat. He was sitting in a slightly bigger, intricate chair on the head of the table, with Ara on one side and the prince on his other. Legolas pretended not to notice her, but the skin around his eyes was somewhat tense. She looked around confusedly, wondering why she was sitting here because Gandalf's seat was much further down the table. And he didn't seem to be very happy about that.

'I have heard what you have been through my lady, I am truly sorry for your loss.' Thranduil spoke to her solemnly.

For a moment she was confused about what he was talking about, before it dawned on her. She had not wanted to think about what happened to her home and family and she had had enough things to distract her from the past too, seeing how her life was turning more bizarre and unreal every day. But having him tell her that brought some of her pain back and she wondered if this night could get any worse. Angry tears threatened to appear. _He had no right to know!_ She felt a stab of betrayal realizing it could have been only Gandalf who told him that.

Ara felt lost for what seemed like the hundredth time over the past two weeks, caught in a whirlwind of emotions. The fact that she sat here amongst these cold and unknown strangers made matters only worse.

The king, noting her silence and the way her body tensed, took a silver goblet and poured some dark summer wine into a goblet.

'I am sorry to have upset you, please drink some of this.' he handed her the goblet. 'It will help you soothe your nerves, and mayhap you will enjoy this evening.' he smiled faintly at her. 'I would not want my guests to be feeling ill at ease in my own home.'

_Guests._

She did not like wine but she took a big gulp anyway. The sweet and strong taste surprised her; it had nothing of that sourness she was used to. She drank some more and felt her shoulders relaxing a bit.

As the night went on she drank more and more of the wine and not only was she completely at ease, she also started enjoying herself. The food was delicious and she could hardly restrain herself from gobbling it all up. Instead, she ate slowly, like a proper lady should, and silently mourned over all the tasty dishes she could not try.

'I hope the food is to your liking, lady Ara. We elves do not have the habit of eating meat, but if you wish so I can send a message to the cooks-'

'No, no!' she cut him off. 'That is very kind of you, but you don't need to trouble yourself with that, my lord. I do not like eating meat very much.'

'My, you are almost an elf yourself!' the king laughed and she blushed and laughed a bit too. Across from her, prince Legolas rolled his eyes.

'I will have to return something that is rightfully yours, my lady. I apologize for keeping it so long from you, but you understand that I had to make sure it was not something dangerous, for the sake of my people.'

_The stone!_ She felt a huge weight being lifted from her chest and she allowed the first true smile to spread over her face. He isn't as bad Gandalf makes him out to be, he made her paranoid for no reason.

Soon she lost herself to the breathtaking elven music. She could not understand what their beautiful voices were singing about but it was enough to spur her wild imagination and her mind started painting pictures of heroes of old, dragons and beautiful, tragic princesses.

By the time the food was all but gone and the guests were starting to leave slowly, Ara was drunk on wine and music. It must have been really late too, because she found it hard to keep her drowsy eyes open. Noting her flushed cheeks the king chuckled and offered her his hand. 'Would you be so kind as to accompany me in a walk through the gardens? I think the fresh air would do us both good.' seeing nothing wrong with that, and feeling as if she needed to get out of this stuffy hall before she started feeling sick, she accepted his offer. As they were leaving she heard Gandalf bellowing her name angrily, somewhere behind her, but it sounded so distant and she wondered if she had not imagined it. She was about to turn around, confused, but the king's hand on her back pushed insistently, until the doors of the hall closed behind them. They chatted on their way through the winding passages, but her mind was not clear enough for her to remember what they talked about and every now and then she would lose track of their conversation which made him laugh and her giggle. The air grew a bit colder as they went down the last passage, and they emerged out of the cave and into Thranduil's lavish gardens. As the fresh air hit her, almost instantly she felt her mind clearing a bit. He walked her to a marble bench and they sat down in silence. She was looking up into the star speckled sky and breathing in the sweet scents of the flowers around her.

'I believe this belongs to you.' he took something out. It looked like a pale, tear-shaped stone, with very faint golden veins running through it. She almost cried in happiness. It was as if she had to walk around without one limb for three days and now he was giving it back to her.

'Thank you!' she exclaimed and he put it down on her raised palms very carefully. If she looked up she would have seen the frozen, expecting look on his face. But she was too preoccupied the reassuring warmth being back in her hands. The veins seemed to glow softly at her touch, but that moment was gone in the blink of an eye. But he has seen it. And his lips curled into a smile.

'If you wish so, I could find some jewelers to fashion it into a necklace for you. Or perhaps it would look prettier on the top of that lovely mop of dark hair you have, on a crown?' his smile was charming and his eyes sparkled with something she could not quite decipher.

'I'd rather not part with it just now...But you are most kind to me, my lord, I truly do not know how to thank you or repay you-'

'Hush! She speaks of repaying!' he looked at her, aghast. 'Do not bother yourself with such thoughts, please. I have enjoyed your company greatly, my dear Ara. You do not mind me calling you that?' he looked at her, as if uncertain and she shook her head. 'Your presence here refreshing, it has been a long time someone so young and full of spirit graced my halls, not since my son has been an elfling.' he finished off sadly. She was a bit taken aback, so she only nodded, not knowing what to say.

'It has been almost two thousand years since my dear wife passed away. And my son spends too much of his time away. ' his shoulders slouched a bit. 'One would not think that it is possible, but kings get lonely too, Ara. Especially when you have so many hundreds of years to live in your solitude.' he looked up at her with pained eyes and she bit her lip, overwhelmed with pity. She put one hand on his shoulder hesitantly but stayed silent, as she did not know what words of compassion to offer him.

After that moment she just couldn't keep her sleepiness away and king Thranduil escorted her back to her rooms. Another two guards stood before her door, their spears crossed over it. Seeing her questioning face, the king explained to her that he wished her only to be as safe as possible, which made her wonder slightly. _What was he so afraid of in his own home?_ She saw how heavily guarded the elvish city was, there was no way that someone could get in and harm her.

* * *

Gandalf was torn between anger and worry. It seemed that king Thranduil took every step to make sure that he and Ara were apart at all times. First he sat her down as far as possible from him during the feast. He had watched him refilling her cup with wine over and over and his blood boiled. _Did he really stoop so low in his greed?_ Then he whisked her away just before the end of the feast. He went after them shortly, but no one could really tell him where they were headed. Then he realized that they were all sending him into opposite directions on purpose, and he stormed straight towards her rooms. There he had to pretend to be walking and looking around until the guards by her doors changed. Grabbing the right moment, he flew through the doors, before the next pair came to stand watch.

He had been pacing around the room impatiently, waiting for her to return. _Gods save me from seventeen year old girls with nothing but fluff in their heads!_

Soon enough, he heard her entering the rooms. She was obviously startled at seeing him but he raised a finger to his lips quickly and she stayed silent, remembering the guards. He then took her by the arm and pulled her towards the other part of her chambers, closing the door behind them.

'What do you think you are doing!' he could not keep the anger out of his voice.

'Nothing! Will you stop acting so strangely?' she turned to the mirror and picked up a brush, running it through her hair.

'You should not have gone out alone with him, Ara. It is dangerous for you.' he tried to reason with her.

'You are being paranoid. He is just a lonely old elf and I feel bad for him. Did you notice that all of the elves here have blue or gray eyes? He said mine look like spring leaves in dusk and that he had never seen something as exotic.' she finished off, smiling dreamily. Her eyes were glazed and they moved strangely slow. _Curse that elvish wine!_

He whacked her on the head with his staff and she yelped and dropped the brush.

'What was that for?!' she looked at him angrily, rubbing the back of her head. He looked into her eyes and saw them clearing, the black pupils growing smaller. _Good._

'Now listen to me, Ara. You are special, you must be aware of that by now. It is very rare that mortals show any signs of magic, much less those with no elvish ancestry. And king Thranduil had always had his eye on rare and extraordinary things. The way he dresses you up, puts you next to him and walks you around. Can you not see it? You are naught but a trophy to him; One that he can show to the other elven lords and tell them 'see? I have a mortal with the powers of an Istar'.'

There were tears in her eyes and he felt a tug on his heart. She looked so much like a child just now.

She hung her head down and stared at the floor for a few heartbeats. Then she raised her head and looked at him with determination in her eyes. 'I got my stone back. We must leave tonight.' He nodded in approval.

'But first we must find a way, the main gates are closed and too heavily guarded, there must be some other way out, and we will also need horses if we plan on escaping –' he walked around the room, muttering to himself. Then he stopped abruptly, looking out of the window.

'The gardens!' he laughed.

She grasped onto his idea quickly.' They are outside of the cave!'

'And it is also where the stables lie.'

'Go order the guards to bring you some food, tell them you are hungry. If they send a search party after us we will not be able to stop and look for food.'

She ran to the door and threw it open.

'Bring me some food and hurry, I am famished! And bring me some breakfast for tomorrow too, I don't like being woken up early in the morning.' one of the guards nodded and hurried off. She closed the door and leaned on it for a moment, her heart beating wildly. Then she ran back to the wizard.

'Pack your things and be quick about it. Take only the bare necessities!'

She ran through the main room and into the third one, where the bathtub was and threw her dress off. She scrambled into the breeches, rolling up the ends and pulled the tunic over her head. On her way back she pulled the rolled up map out of the drawer of the table and tucked it under the waistline of the breeches and secured it all with a belt. Running back to Gandalf, she found him ripping a pillow up, white feathers flying everywhere. He shook the pillowcase and gave it to her. 'Use this as a bag.' she nodded.

There was the sound of a door opening and they both froze for a moment. Then the wizard walked swiftly and silently to the window and jumped out.

Peeking into the room she saw the handmaiden put down a tray filled with food on the table. Making sure she couldn't see what she was wearing, she spoke loudly 'Thank you, you may leave now.' she smiled.

As soon as she was gone, Ara ran to the tray and started stuffing whatever she could find into the pillowcase. Some fruit and vegetables, two pieces of bread and cheese; the rest she could not take as it was either something to drink or something that would go bad quickly. It was not nearly enough but hopefully it would last them for a day or two. She threw the knife from the tray in too and tied the top of the pillowcase into a knot. She considered throwing her stone in but then she tucked it in under the belt next to the map.

Going back to the window, she carefully lowered the improvised bag out and Gandalf took it.

'Count to a hundred, then go to the stables. We should not be seen together.' came his hushed whisper and then he was gone, his gray cloak melting into the side of the cave. She forgot to tell him that she didn't know where the stables are. She gulped nervously. _One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight...where was I?_ She started over. Her hands were trembling on the windowsill. She could not keep the count so she just stood there, waiting for the moment to feel right.

It didn't. But she couldn't wait any longer. She lowered herself out of the window carefully. Her heart was beating like a drum. She started off in the direction where Gandalf went. She was nearing a familiar place, the marble bench shining under the moonlight. It was then that the door of the passage which led into the gardens opened, and a guard walked out. Her heart dropped. He noticed her right away and furrowed his brow. She did not have time to think.

She ran and threw herself at him, clutching his shoulders tightly. 'Please!' she begged in her most despairing voice. 'Please you must help me!' she sobbed.

'What is the matter, my lady?' he inched a bit away from her, startled and confused by her tears.

'I have lost my necklace! You must help me find it, it is all I have left from my mother, please sir!' she wasn't sure where the tears kept coming from but she thanked the gods for it.

'Calm down my lady, where were you when it went missing?'

'I was walking through the gardens with the king; he wanted to show me the stables. I love horses-' she sobbed and wiped her eyes. 'When I came back to my room I noticed it was missing!' her voice wavered and he hushed her like a child.

'Do not worry, my lady, I will help you find it. But you should not have left without your guards.'

'I panicked.' she looked at the ground, feigning shame.

They walked in the dark between long rows of flowers. She made sure to throw in a sob or two occasionally as she pretended to be searching the ground.' It was a silver chain with a red, tear-shaped pendant.' she told him. She stumbled in the dark and almost fell a few times, which made her look even more pitiful. That was not intentional, but it did the job just right. The guard was looking at the ground with his piercing elvish eyes as they walked, so he didn't notice someone getting out of the nearby stables. Following the wizard were two elvish horses, saddled and ready. Gandalf got onto one horse, holding both reins in his hands. The other horse whinnied and the guard's head snapped up.

'Stand where you are!' he threatened and ran towards him, pulling his sword out of its sheath. Gandalf charged at him and the elf barely managed to jump to the side, but the wizard's staff knocked him out cold. He stopped the horse next to Ara and the other one came trotting up after him. She looked at the horse in fear.

'He will throw me off!'

'I have spoken to them in elvish. He will not let you fall, hurry!'

The horse even bent his head to help her get one and they started running just in time, hearing alarmed voice somewhere in the distance. They galloped through the gardens in a minute and they were back in the dark forest, running between trees. Ara dropped the reins and flattened herself to the horse, clutching his mane in fear. But Gandalf was right; the horse did not let her fall off.

She gasped when she heard the sound of hooves behind them, they were already being followed. Their horses quickened their pace, and she had to close her eyes to shield them from the wind. The horse's mane was tickling her face uncomfortably, but she did not dare to move.

Arrows whizzed past them and she yelped, her eyes flying open. She could see their shapes flying between the trees next to them. One rider moved left until he was so close to her , she could almost see his face. She saw long platinum hair flying but then her eyes got too blurry from the wind and she had to close them again.

The riders fell a bit back, riding behind them. A few arrows flew past them until they stopped. The sound of the hooves was growing more and more distant and soon she couldn't hear it anymore. But they didn't stop still, they emerged onto a road and continued riding until dawn.

* * *

Every part of her body ached from exhaustion, to the very last bone. But she did not pay attention to it. She was happy they could finally slow down and she could straighten up on the horse and breathe freely.

'They have stopped following us long ago, but I had to be sure.' Gandalf said, rummaging through the bags attached to his horse's saddle.

'I am truly thankful to whoever owns this horse.' he said, taking out two flasks and throwing one to her. She drank deeply from it, her dry throat burning.

'Why do you think they gave up so soon?' she asked.

'I think we had luck that Legolas was leading the group. Elves would not miss such a close target as they did. The arrows were supposed to spur our horses into a faster run.'

'Right. He would have dragged me back by my hair.'

'Why are you so set on disliking him? He is nothing like his father, and a truer friend too.' she stayed silent.

'Ara, what does it mean to you when I say _bare necessity?' _he looked at her dangling feet pointedly. She wiggled them and the slippers sparkled.

'I could not resist.' she smiled guiltily.

Gandalf threw his head back in a booming laugh. _Finally, he is back to his old self. _


	6. Chapter 6

I am really sorry it took me so long so update, I was going through a pretty though time and did not have the space, or time, or motivation to write. Its been a while but I decided not to give up on the story just yet, at least while someone out there is still interested in it :)

The thin forest path disappeared the next night, while they were both asleep. He cursed himself for letting his weariness lull him into sleep. Now they were forced to go along the river for a while, at least until the trees grew shorter and the days less dark.

Gandalf watched the girl's head nodding sleepily, while her horse walked slowly. He could tell by the way her body slouched that she was exhausted. And no wonder, considering how eventful these past few days had been for her. And yet they did not get the chance to rest but kept their pace fast. He didn't want to linger in this forest any longer than they had to, he could not risk it. He would catch the tiny yellow eyes blinking at them from the darkness, but kept it to himself. There was no need to scare the girl any further, not while the incident with the tower is still to freshly embedded in her head. He noticed how she twisted in her sleeping bag at night, sometimes staring into the darkness tensely. And what little sleep she could get was plagued by bad dreams and she scowled and moaned in her sleep.

She seemed to have returned to her former shell, speaking little and staring into the distance. She still liked listening to his stories, but more than often he noticed her losing track of what he was saying, distracted by some thoughts of her own. He imagined she had a lot to think of, after all that had happened. And he did too.

He recalled presenting her as his apprentice at Thranduil's court and wondered if he had made a mistake. He had never thought of tutoring her in any way. Not her or anyone else. It is just not how it works with the Istari. And he did not have the time to spend hours mulling over books and maps with her. There were many places where he was needed and he lived his life on the road. And that is not a place for a young girl . _But she seems to love traveling as much as you do_. A voice in his head reminded him. _Yet there are many dangers out there and I will not always be able to watch her back. _He puffed out the smoke from his pipe thoughtfully. _It is best to let the White council decide about her faith. _Yet that thought didn't make him as comfortable as it used to.

He edged his horse closer to her and lightly shook her arm. She straightened up in the saddle and blinked at him drowsily.

'If we follow the river further we will end up on the far north. We should head to the south and hope that the forest doesn't trick us into getting lost.' She nodded and picked up the reins.

'Let us just leave this place as soon as possible please. I am starting to forget what daylight looks like.' She yawned.

'It should not be long now. The forest is not so dense here and look!' He pointed at the gray line that started appearing above the treetops in the distance. 'We should just keep our eyes trained on the Misty mountains and we will be out of here soon.'

'And then?'

'Then we head towards Rivendell, the home of lord Elrond.'

She gave an exasperated moan. 'Not the elves again!'

He chuckled. 'Do not worry my dear, these elves are quite different from those you have met. I am sure you will like them, you may even decide to stay there.' he smiled encouragingly.

She fidgeted in the saddle nervously. 'I do not want to stay there I am sure...' looking at the ground, she continued - ' I would much rather travel like you. Did you not say that I am your apprentice now? Can't I go with you?' she trailed off , giving him a pleading look.

He sighed, noting the disappointment in her voice. 'I said it to protect you. Truthfully, I do not know what to do with you. And who could know what will happen in the future and where our paths lead?' he looked at her warmly. 'But I am sure your path will be an extraordinary one. And after all, the most interesting adventures happen unplanned. So do not trouble yourself wondering where to go and what to do, everything will fall into its place in time.' She nodded uncertainly.

'As I told you before, I will bring you to the White council, for they are far wiser than me. They will know which way to send you along.'

Ara's back was aching horribly. And her bottom was sore too. They barely go off their horses and when they did, they slept for an hour or two without making camp and went on. It was not just the gloom of the forest pushing hem on, but they were also running out of food. All that was left was some lembas bread which they have found in the bags attached to the horses' saddles. She pointed out some mushrooms to Gandalf once, but he shook his head and reminded her not to eat or drink anything she finds here.

She looked at Gandalf's scowling face. He got off his horse and stood there, scratching his beard thoughtfully and looking around them. They were lost. She was sure of it but did not dare mention it while he was in such a bad mood. They would walk for a while in one direction and then the old wizard would curse and turn back around. It felt as if they were going in circles, but she could not tell for sure because the forest looked always the same. She tried keeping her eyes on the barely visible mountain tops in the distance, her back.

'Let us rest here for a bit. At least until I decide which way is the right one.' he pulled out their sleeping bags and she got off her horse and helped him spread them out. They both ate tiny pieces of lembas bread and drank a bit of the water that was left in their flasks. He told her to try to get some sleep but she couldn't. Instead she watched him sitting and smoking his pipe, deep in thought. It was a sight she was used to by now, and somehow it reassured her and made her smile.

'Can you tell me something about the dwarves?' She asked Gandalf.

'Which ones? The dwarves of the Iron hills, or Moria...' she cut him off.

'Those that lived under the Lonely mountain.'

'Ah, of course.' he smiled at her a puffed out a ring of smoke. 'The Halls of Erebor were ruled over by king Thror. He was a great king, well loved and respected by his people, as well as other dwarven folk and men, and his kingdom was rich and prosperous. Partly because of the vast riches that the dwarves mined from the mountain, and partly from their trade with the surrounding towns. Their weapons, jewelry and toys were made truly magnificently.

They got along especially well with the men from the town of Dale, which was settled on the southern slopes of the Lonely Mountain. And their brightest point was when the tragedy happened. The horrible dragon Smaug flew south from the Grey mountains, driven with his lust for gold a jewels. He demolished the city, as well as the town of Dale, and took over the mountain, using the dwarves' hoard of gold as his bed. Only a handful of dwarves managed to escape. The kings son Thrain II was lost, I believed that he had died that day until...-'

'The dwarf from the fortress!'

'Yes I believe it was him. Tho I do no know how he ended up there. He had a son, Thorin. He was the one who led the dwarves out of the mountain. Later their company tried to regain the kingdom of Moria, led by the very old and disillusioned Thror. But they were late and the mines of Moria were already taken by the orcs. Their leader, Azog the Defiler had slain Thror shortly after they approached the gates. But Thorin refused to retreat, not until he avenged his grandfather's death. He fought Azog, using but a oaken branch as a shield. Just as the pale orc got him on his knees and was about to strike the killing blow, Thorin swung his sword and cut his arm clean off!' Her eyes were wide in awe.

'The foul beast ran back to the mines together with his army, where he died of his wounds. And Thorin was given the name Oakenshield. He became the leader of the small group of dwarves from Erebor.'

'And where is he now?' She asked eagerly.

'I am not sure. The dwarves scattered a while ago, all looking for their own path. I know that some have settled in towns of men or dwarves, working as smiths and toy makers and such.'

There was silence while they were both deep in their own thoughts. Gandalf cleared his throat.' Now go to sleep, we have another long day tomorrow!'

She settled back in her sleeping bag and yawned. Her eyes were hurting from straining them in the dark and she let her lids droop slowly. It's funny how sleeping on the ground can feel comfortable, when you are so exhausted from sitting in the saddle all day. She smiled to herself, thinking about Gandalf's story. Somehow it made her happy to hear that at least some of the dwarves managed to get away. It made her feel warm around her heart...

Very warm...

Almost...hot?

She pushed herself off the ground and the stone fell out of the covers and dangled from her neck. It was glowing and she felt the back of her neck prickle. 'Gandalf!' She shouted out hurriedly, but he had already seen it.

'On your feet, quickly!' he pulled her up. 'Stand with your back against mine, do not panic and do not run off!' The horses whinnied loudly and she saw the first eyes appear in the darkness. Yellow and malicious, they were followed by an all too familiar skittering sound. 'Not again!' she shouted, feeling her heart speed up.

'Stay close to me at all times!'

She yanked the stone off her neck and held it in front of her protectively, while Gandalf pulled out his sword. He sent a burning blue flame into the darkness and there was a screeching sound. Another one lunged at him, but he hacked the spiders legs off and it fell to the ground, writhing in pain. There were three others on her side, but they were scuttling around, wary of the glowing thing in her hand. On of them decided to take its chance, lunging at her and she waved her hand , leaving a burning trail. The stone slipped from her sweaty hand and she picked it off the ground hurriedly. She could hear Gandalf behind her, hacking and slashing with his sword in one hand, and setting the spiders ablaze with the staff in his other one. But it was no use, they just kept on coming. She started panicking, feeling her throat tighten and her hand shake.

She did not hear the feet hitting on the ground rapidly. Or the shouts. But Gandalf did and he smiled in relief.

And soon enough, something burst from between the trees, scaring off the spiders. Ara stared at the strange old man, frozen in shock. He flew around them on his sled, waving his staff and shooting the spiders with some green flame from his staff_. Another wizard_? She wondered. Gandalf laughed and lit a few more spiders on fire. As the last one fell the rest scattered away into the darkness. The sled came to a stop in front of them and the old man jumped off. Ara stared at the rabbits incredulously. _These little things were pulling it? _

'Well you two are far away from home!' the man said in a jovial voice and walked towards them.

'We were a bit lost, mister -' she stopped talking and watched him walk past them as if they weren't there. Instead he went towards the horses. He untied them from the tree and took off the bags from their saddles. 'Well off you go, you wouldn't want your masters to get worried now.' he watched them run off into the darkness.

'What are you doing!' Ara stared at him in shock as he turned towards them.

'Oh don't worry my dear, elvish horses always find their way home. Ah, Gandalf my dear old friend!' They hugged and patted each other on the back, laughing.

'You came at the right moment, Radagast.' Gandalf chuckled. _Radagast?_ It sounded familiar.

'I thought I would not find you at all, I was following your tracks but you always seemed to be a step ahead. But you have been going in circles for the past few hours so I managed to catch up. You seem to be losing your touch old friend!' he laughed.

'It is not up to me, Radagast, and you know it. You are the only one here, apart from the elves, who can find their way through this godforsaken forest!' Gandalf grumbled and Radagast threw his head back, laughing. Ara stood and watched them uncertainly.

'And who is this young lady with you?' She fidgeted under his questioning gaze.

'My name is Ara. 'Tis nice to meet you, mister Radagast...sir.' _How does one address a wizard? _

He waved his hand dismissively. 'Just Radagast. I am delighted to make your acquaintance, lady Ara.' he gave her a theatrical bow.

'Just Ara.' She smiled back.

'Well, now that we've dealt with the introductions, we should be heading our way.' Gandalf urged them.

'Ah yes!' Radagast ran back to his sled and jumped on it. 'Well don't just stand there, hop on!'

The trees were flying past them and she had to hold onto the back of the sled tightly. It was scary at first but soon she got used to it and laughed out in delight whenever they flew over a hill, or when a bump on the ground made them all bounce on the sled. She and Gandalf were sitting at the back, while Radagast held the reins at the front, steering the rabbits. She had to stifle a giggle every time she looked at them. It was just too silly, being pulled by those tiny furry little things!

She found that she liked Radagast, not only because she found everything he says or does to be funny, but also because he had a very honest, simple and trustful air around him. He told her about his little cottage in the woods and all the animals who lived there with him - more than she could count or remember.

The pressing gloom of the forest around them was slowly fading as they neared its edge. Ara found it to be easier to breathe, and felt both her and Gandalf's mood pick up. She could not wait to feel the sun on her skin once again.

_'And you are not sure yet, what kind of power she possesses?'_

_'I do not know. She is not an Istari I am sure of it. Yet her magic is similar, albeit weaker. I tried teaching her some incantations and words of power to see if it would trigger some magic inside of her. Nothing happened.'_

_'It seems whatever power she has comes from that strange stone around her neck.' _Radagast threw a pointed look at Gandalf over his shoulder and looked at the stone hanging on a piece of string around the girls neck.

_'Yes, she draws her strength from the stone. And at the same time the stone pulls it out of her. There is a peculiar connection between them. I am sure it would only react to her touch. Actually, Thranduil has already tested that theory for me.' _Gandalf chuckled to himself.

_'And you say she used it to set the spiders ablaze? That is most extraordinary!'_

_'Yes yes, indeed. But on the other hand...' _Gandalf stroked his beard thoughtfully, _'I only ever saw her use it to defend herself . Actually, I am quite sure it is the only way she can use it – to defend herself and others. If I had learned anything about her these past weeks, it's that she is no fighter. She is easily startled, clumsy and before everything – too young and innocent.'_

_'That is good.' _Radagast smiled to himself and Gandalf wrinkled his eyebrows in confusion, staring at the back of his furry hat.

_'And why is that good, pray tell?'_

_'This world has too many fighters already. And too many of those who find power get blinded by it. I think she is just what this world lacks - a young, unspoiled spirit full of life.'_

Gandalf pondered on that thought, watching the trees fly past them. He heard Ara's delighted squeal when the sled bounced over a small hill and laughed with her.

_'There is something else. She healed a wounded rabbit once with that stone. She claims she does not know how she has done it and I believe she was telling the truth. Perhaps the stone reacts to her feelings.' _He purposely let out the detail about how the rabbit got hurt. Radagast was especially fond of rabbits and would not be very happy to hear that it was supposed to be their lunch.

_'What a wonderful girl!' _Radagast turned around and gave Ara a delighted smile. 'You are truly something, my girl!'

She gave him a confused smile, uncertain of what he was talking about since she could not hear the conversation that was going through their heads.

_'You see, Gandalf? This world does not need any more warriors. It needs someone to heal the wounds.'_

Ara hopped off the sled, happy to be finally able to stretch her legs. The sun was warming her skin and the air was so fresh a sweet from the flowers around them. Her smile widened even further when she took her slippers off and felt the cool green grass under her feet.

'Thank you for the ride, Radagast.' Gandalf picked up their bags from the sled. 'And for finding us on time.'

'Do not mention it, friend.' He pulled out some flasks and a little bag with some dried fruits, bread and cheese. 'Here, this should keep you going for a while.' he handed them to Gandalf who thanked him. Radagast then got back onto his sled. 'I am glad we met, lovely Ara.' he picked up the reins. 'Do not think that I did not enjoy your company, friends, but I am afraid I must hurry back home now. I do not like leaving my animals alone, not with those foul spiders around.' He flicked the reins and the rabbits pulled the sled back around towards the forest.

'Goodbye Radagast, it was nice meeting you!' Ara called after him.

'Good luck, and safe travels, friends!' he waved his furry hat at them and the sled disappeared behind the trees.

Ara walked over to Gandalf and picked up some of the bags, throwing them over her left shoulder.

'Well, I think there might be some elves out there, waiting to meet me.' She grinned at him and hooked her arm around his, pulling him along with her through the meadow. The old wizard chuckled and shook his head at her.

She was always running off somewhere, looking around for more flowers to pick. She was threading them through each other, he colorful strand of flowers dangling from her small hands.

'I have never seen so many flowers, and such vivid colors! Back at home everything was so dry and...brown.'

'Well they those lands are not called the Brown Lands for no reason.' he laughed as he watched her run off towards another bunch of flowers. It made him happy to see her like this. Away from the pain and destruction of her home, she was just the way she was supposed to be – young and cheerful and carefree. He pretended no to notice her sneaking up behind him.

'Ha!' She giggled as she slid the crown of flowers of the pointy tip of his hat.

'Take it off, right this instant! I am a wizard, not a foolish little girl to be hopping around with flowers on my head!' His voice boomed after her as she ran away, laughing.

Gandalf hoped whatever purpose the gods have for her wouldn't kill that spirit.

It has been two days since the cold gray stone of the Misty Mountains replaced the grass and the flowers, and again he had to set a fast pace. As fast as the crumbling edges of the mountain would allow. The weather was still nice and didn't cause them too many problems, but he dared not push his luck any further, knowing what the real danger of these mountains is – goblins. The mountain passes and caves were infested with them, they even had whole cities built deep beneath the mountain. So far they did not come across any, because the weather allowed them to camp outside instead of looking for a cave, and the nights were not so cold that they would need to light a fire.

They spent most of their time talking, well, he was talking and she was asking hundreds of questions. He taught her to sing some songs, which delighted her greatly. She was not a very good singer, but her voice was soft and sweet and she sang with real enjoyment.

More than often he found himself teaching her about the history of Middle Earth, showing her old maps that he carried with him, as well as telling her about orcs and goblins and wargs. Sometimes he wondered if he could truly get used to having an apprentice._ No, I am simply preparing her for the sake of her own safety._ He would shake those thoughts off. His purpose in this world was different, and her path was not his.

Yet he could not deny to himself, that he was slowly growing very fond of the young girl, and very protective.

A tug on his sleeve brought him back to reality. He looked down at the girl questioningly. Her face was tense and her eyes were scanning the cold heights of the mountain side.

'I saw something. I think. It disappeared so quickly...'

'Do you know what it was?' there was only one thing it could be. He stared into the distance, looking at the alcoves and cave entrances. Something moved slightly in the shadows.

'It's going to be dark soon.' She noticed, looking around them uncertainly.

'Yes, we should move on. The valley should not be far away now.' he urged her on.

They continued walking at a slightly faster pace. They were not talking, but they were both keeping an eye on their surroundings. The mountain pass was turning down, clearly they would be off the mountain soon. But not soon enough. Ara's skin tingled uncomfortably feeling the beady little eyes on it. At one point, a shadow seemed to fly directly over their heads. It was when Gandalf told her to drop her bag and pushed something cold and hard into her hand. She gripped the knife tightly. There was a raspy shriek in the distance, followed by another, closer one.

'Run!' Gandalf pushed her in front of him, pulling his sword out.

She ran as fast as she could, the angry shrieks and yells spurring her on. But she could not keep herself from tripping and falling over. Her breeches and the skin on her knees was ripped, but she had no time to think about it as she was pulled back up by Gandalf and running.

She imagined hearing a deep horn coming from the depths of the mountain. It was so loud it made the ground beneath her feet vibrate and she tripped again. The side of the mountain shook, the stones falling of its sides, showering them with a painful rain of rocks. A huge piece of rock broke off above their heads and she screamed and jumped back, being nearly hit by it. Gandalf pushed her breathless form forward. 'Hurry!' he helped her scramble over the rock and turned around and slashed a goblins head clean off. But there were more on their heels. He moved a bit back before running towards her with surprising speed. He flew over the rock, his hat barely bouncing on his head as he jumped. As soon as his feet hit the ground they continued running.

Arrows whizzed past them.

'We are almost there!' Gandalf bellowed over the sound of the running and shrieking goblins. The grass started turning thicker beneath their feet and the ground softer.

Suddenly there was a searing pain in her right shoulder and the knife fell from her hand. Panicking, she saw the shaft of a arrow lodged in her shoulder. 'Gandalf!' she screamed, the pain making her vision go blurry from tears. He looked back and cursed, running back towards her bent form. He pushed her behind him.

'Take your stone and focus on it! Do not think about the pain!' He readied himself for the attack.

Soon enough they fell upon them. Dozens of them. Gandalf edged backwards, swinging his sword while keeping the glowing staff in the air warningly. Goblins fell under his sword but soon enough they were replaced by others. He felt Ara leaning on his back, her breathing hard and raspy. She grabbed the stone and tugged it off her neck. She closed her eyes for a moment and gulped painfully . Then, holding onto Gandalf's shoulder for support, she turned around and swung her hand. The stone glowed painfully bright once again, setting the nearby goblin's face on fire. It shrieked in pain and terror, fleeing. But the goblin did not get far before an arrow flew into the back of its head, bringing it down.

Another horn sounded, this one much clearer and brighter and the riders fell upon the goblins, their long, thin swords splattering the dark goblin blood around.

They were once again saved by the elves.

The next chapter will probably be a bit shorter, just Rivendell and the White Council. And in the next one the actual Hobbit storyline starts, pinky promise xD! R&R please, if you have any questions, suggestions or wishes send me a pm ^^


	7. Chapter 7

Ara could vaguely remember being picked up from the ground, a warm soft hand sliding over her eyes and a disembodied voice floating through her head._ Can a voice glow?_ She wondered, before her hazy and confused mind shut down.

She woke up in a bed, covered in soft linen sheets. For a moment she considered going back to sleep, the feeling of a mattress and pillow under hear head felt so heavenly. She pulled the sheets tightly around herself, the soft material tickling her skin and causing her to smile sleepily.

She was naked. And her stone was gone.

The thought just crossed her drowsy mind as her eyes shot open. She sat up, holding the covers around herself and looked around the wide and airy room, bewildered. It took her a few moments to remember what happened last night. _Or was it even yesterday? _She had no idea how long she has been asleep. She became aware of a bandage, wrapped tightly around her shoulder, making it harder for her to move her arm. She shuddered remembering the pain of the jagged arrow ripping her skin. Thankfully there was no pain now, only an uncomfortable tightness and a slightly cooling feeling under the bandage._ Probably some sort of herb or ointment. _

Cautiously peeking under the sheets, she saw that the various scratches and bruises on her legs were also treated, and her palms were also wrapped in bandages. She must have scratched them when she fell.

However grateful she was for being healed, the thought of someone poking around her naked body while she was asleep made her extremely embarrassed. _What's with these elves always getting me naked_. That thought made her blush, then laugh at how wrong it sounded.

'Oh you are awake! I thought you would be sleeping for much longer.'

The voice startled Ara and she gripped the sheets around her chest tighter, looking over her shoulder with wide eyes. A tall, beautiful elf was standing at the door. Ara sighed. She was not ready to face the elves just yet, at least not until she found some clothes. Then she noticed the tray in her hands and her stomach growled like an angry beast. The elf heard it of course, and she laughed, closing the door and walking up to her.

'My name is Laineth.' she smiled at her and put the tray on her lap. The smell of the freshly baked pastries made her mouth water. She grabbed a bun with honey and cinnamon and was about to take a huge bite when she remembered the elf. She was standing there looking at her expectantly. Ara lowered the painfully tasty looking bun and cleared her throat.

'Tis nice to meet you. I'm Ara...thank you for the food.'

She stared at the elf, waiting for her to go away.

'How do you feel? Does anything hurt?' Laineth sat on the bed next to her feet and the girl sighed inwardly. Why can't hey just leave her alone with her food.

'No, I am alright. Thank you for asking.' _Go away go away go away..._

She gave up and took a huge bite out of the pastry. Th elf was still staring at her, watching her eat. She couldn't really focus on the tastiness of the pastry, because she was thinking about how uncomfortable it is to have the elf sitting so close to her, watching her every move, listening to her chewing...

'Lord Elrond spent hours cleaning your wounds.'

The pastry got stuck in her throat.

'Pray tell, how did you get so many scratches?'

She coughed and washed down the pastry with some water, her cheeks burning. _Elves don't seem to understand what privacy means._

'I fell.' she answered curtly and the elf giggled.

'Really? How many times did you have to fall to make your knees so bruised?'

'Laineth!' a voice from the door interrupted her. Another elleth stood at the door and she said something Ara didn't understand, but it sounded like scolding. _Ha! _

Laineth excused herself and hurried out of the door, shutting it behind her. _Finally! _Ara turned her attention back to her breakfast, which had sadly gotten cold, but she ate it all up in a minute anyways.

Much to her disappointment, the overly chatty elf was back as soon as she finished her breakfast. She led her to another part of the room and practically pushed her into the bath. Ara gave up and let the elf scrub her and cover her with scented lotions, her dignity was lost anyways.

The elf chatted on, sometimes getting carried away and forgetting to speak in Westron. The she'd giggle and start telling the story all over again. Ara almost missed the strange, silent handmaidens from Thranduil's court. Almost.

She wondered if all elves were like this in Rivendell.

It turned out they were not. They were calm, and proud and graceful. She just had the luck of getting appointed to the odd one.

'It's right this way.' Laineth chirped, showing her down a long hallway. As if Ara had any idea where she is. Not only was she too distracted by how beautiful her surroundings are, but the handmaiden insisted on telling her absolutely everything about the place.

And the dress they gave her made her very uneasy. It was obviously made for an elf, because it was way too long and uncomfortably tight around her hips. Apparently elves were taller and slimmer than her.

She paused in front of the big doorway, suddenly forgetting her annoyance with the elf and feeling very nervous. She took a deep breath.

_Welcome, Ara._

A powerful female voice rang through her head and the doors slowly opened, casting the bright sunlight upon her.

'You can not seriously think that she could be one of us, Gandalf! Once again you are seeing more than there is to see. A girl finds a magical trinket,' Saruman casually waved his hand towards the stone, 'and you run to tell us that you have found an Istari.'

'I said her powers are similar - '

'Enough.' Saruman held his hand up. 'I have more pressing matters to deal with than little girls and their made up stories. And who knows what source this stone came from! I will take it back with me to Isengard to make sure it is nothing dangerous.'

Gandalf was about to retort, when Elrond spoke. 'Let us not be hasty now, friend. I have felt something in the girl, something I could not quite place. It was not a great power, nor a hidden evil.' he looked at Saruman pointedly. 'It was more of a...blessing.'

'I have seen her do things no mortal can, and others have too! And I can assure you ,it did not come from the stone!' Gandalf tried to reason with Saruman. 'It is...merely a tool of sorts. One that only she can use.'

'And what do you suggest we do now? We proclaim her a member of he Order, sing her a song of welcome and tell everyone that this..._child_ was sent to save the peoples of Middle Earth?'

Saruman leaned back into his chair and crossed his hands over his chest.

'This is a sign, Saruman. A sign that dark times are before us. I believe that, with some tutoring, we could find her help to be of utmost importance in the future!'

'We are at peace, Gandalf.' Elrond reminded him.

'Always you with you stories about the enemy and dark times! There are no signs, Gandalf. Let us go through this again. A girl finds some trinket...'

Galadriel stood silently while the wizards argued, immersed within her own thoughts. They were all wrong. She was not a weapon, nor a sign, nor a mere liar. She was just a child of Illuvatar, one who found herself being saved by the pity of a weeping goddess. There was no great destiny laid out before her, just the choices and paths she herself would have to choose.

She smiled gently, feeling her nervousness and shyness of the young girl standing in front of the doors. Galadriel spoke for the first time.

'Let us see the girl for ourselves.'

They followed her gaze towards the doors.

Laineth nudged her, which made her trip over the long green material of the dress. She stumbled through the doors, the sudden bright sunlight making her squint.

As her eyes got accustomed to the brightness, she realized they were on some sort of wide terrace, with a circular stone table in the middle. There were only two elves, Gandalf and a stern old man dressed all in white. She had expected there to be more people.

They were all staring at her intently and she fidgeted uncomfortably. Was she supposed to sit down on one of he chairs? Or did they expect her to just stand here? She noticed her stone in the middle of the table right away, but she was too afraid to just go up and take it, however much she wanted to.

What seemed like an hour later, the tall regal looking elf spoke.

'Welcome to Rivendell, young Ara.' She supposed this could only be lord Elrond. She tried not to think about being seen naked by him, but the tips of her ears still went red.

All the court formalities that Gandalf tried to teach her flew through her head all at once and she was unsure how to respond.

'It is an honor to be your guest, my lord.' she said after a few long moments.

'So you summoned the White Council because of this child?' the old man's cold gaze turned from her to Gandalf and he raised one gray eyebrow at him. Somehow, the way he spat out the word 'child' made her want to glare at him.

Elrond silently motioned towards a chair and she sat down.

Gandalf cleared his throat. 'Yes. This is Ara.' he gave her a reassuring smile. Then he motioned towards the grumpy old man, 'I would like you to meet Saruman the White, a fellow wizard and head of my order.' She nodded her head at him, but tried to avoid his cold, piercing gaze at all costs. 'You have already met lord Elrond, I presume, and this.' he turned to the elven lady next to him and inclined his head respectfully,' - this is Galadriel, the Lady of Lorien.'

Ara couldn't help thinking that she was the most beautiful and outstanding elf she met so far. A slight smile appeared on the lady's pale face.

_You flatter me._

It was the voice from before, she realized in surprise. Galadriel's eyes sparkled and she looked at her with some emotion she could not quite place, but it made her feel a bit more at ease and she gave her a shaky smile.

'I believe this is yours.' Galadriel inclined her head towards the stone in front of her. There was an almost tense silence while reached over the table for the stone.

'Yes, thank you.' she answered politely, grabbing it.

As always, the golden veins glimmered under her touch, the weight warm and reassuring in her palm. She put it in her lap, her hands wrapped around it protectively.

'So tell us, Ara, how did you come by this stone? I must say I have never seen anything like it.' Elrond inquired.

She was hoping they wouldn't ask her about her past. She tried not to think about it. It felt like years ago, but really it had been hardly a month and it was all still too fresh.

She sighed and started telling them about her village, about her parents and their way of life. She told them how the men fed the village by fishing. And how some of the younger children often went to help them, and to learn. She smiled and told them how much she enjoyed swimming in the river with her best friend, in summer when the days got unbearably hot. She talked about old Farks' horse , and the few traveling traders that passed through their village. All these memories had a bittersweet sting to them that made her eyes go slightly blurry with tears. Yet there was not much to tell about her tiny village, or their simple life. She could not put off talking about that night anymore.

'We do not have all day, girl.' she did not have to look up from her hands to see whose voice that was. She sighed and started telling them what happened on that night. Her voice wavered and she had to stop a few times and take a deep breath, but she felt proud that she managed to keep the tears back.

'So you mean to tell us that you died?' Saruman asked flatly.

'I don't know what happened then...I remember being held by a woman. She was glowing so bright is hurt to look at her. I remember she cried, and she healed my wound. She called me Ara and that is all I can remember. It feels like a dream...' she looked at Gandalf. 'I had another name before that, and I do not understand why I told you my name is Ara that day. But now I have grown accustomed to it, it feels natural.' her voice was slightly apologetic but Gandalf merely looked at her with interest.

'You also said that the woman gave you her name. Nienna.' Gandalf reminded her softly.

'Now that is too much!' Saruman looked at her incredulously. 'Gods do not meddle in the lives of little girls. There were many warriors, heroes and kings who died and the Valar did not do anything about it! What makes you think that you are so special, as to be given your life back?'

She felt tears of humiliation stinging her eyes and she let her head drop, afraid to look into the wizards harsh dark eyes. In a way he was right. She never understood why things happened the way they did, and now she thought more than ever, that this gift was wasted on her.

'The thing that is special about her, is that she is ordinary.' Galadriel's silky hand brought her chin up, forcing Ara to look into her deep blue gaze. 'She is a token of hope, for all of us.' her smile was gentle.' A reminder that even in the darkest times, the Valar are keeping watch over us. Over _all_ the children of Illuvatar, from kings to little girls who like to spend the hot summer days splashing in the river.'

Tears were now streaming freely down Ara's face and she gave the lady a trembling smile, as the silky, marble-white hand wiped her cheeks.

Saruman broke the silence. 'So what do you propose we do with her?' He spoke as if she was not there.

'I say we let her decide.' Elrond turned to Ara. 'You are welcome to stay here, if that is what you wish.'

She was unsure of what to think. A part of her wanted to stay, yet the other one wanted to travel, to explore and go on adventures. But she did not quite know where to start off. She remembered the dwarven map and looked at Gandalf. He lightly shook his head. '_Now is not the time for that_.'

She sighed.

'I would like to stay.'

It had been almost a year, she realized one day. The time seemed to stand still here in Rivendell.

Gandalf had left a few days after she decided to stay. She was really sad to see him go. But she did get to see him once more, a few months later. He spoke of hobbits, a cheerful short folk that lived north of the Brandywine river.

He left soon after.

The weather was always nice in Rivendell. Sometimes she would spend almost all day riding. Elrond gave her one of the horses from the stables when he saw how much she enjoyed riding. She thanked him thousands of times, until he explicitly forbid her from repeating 'thank you' over and over. He didn't even mind that she named the elven horse Toby. But he made her swear that she will try not to fall off too many times.

She was wary and shy around the elven lord at first. Though soon she grew accustomed to him, and he agreed to teach her how to heal and treat wounds. She would be going through books with drawings of different herbs while he silently did his own work. Only occasionally he would point out some things to her. She thanked him for that too many times, but he shook it off with a smile, saying that he did not have to do much with her, as she was a natural talent.

Of course that made her blush and feel proud every time.

Apart from him, she did not get accustomed to the other elves so easily. It took her a while to start memorizing their names and faces and stop referring to them as _this elf _and _that elf_ in her head.

It surprised her how close she grew with Laineth. At first she was annoyed that the elleth kept following her around, looking at her as if she was some very interesting little animal. But on the other hand, most of the elves did that through the first few days.

Laineth taught her how to read and write. She was a horrible teacher and kept laughing at Ara whenever she made a mistake. But she always supported her, in that endearingly pushy way of hers.

Yes, her days at Rivendell were always filled out and she felt safe and quite happy.

But her nights grew progressively more restless with time. She found herself twisting in her bed until she gave up, got up from the bed and went out for a walk. Only when she was tired enough from walking could she return to her bed and fall asleep.

And some nights when she was about to fall asleep, she would notice how she was unconsciously circling her feet for a while, rubbing them and twisting the sheets around them. It felt strange and sometimes she would wake up with aching ankles.

Elrond laughed when she told him about that. 'Your feet are restless because they miss having the road beneath them!'

And so she decided it was time to leave. Elrond felt it was too early for her to go out on her own, but her gave her his blessing anyway, and Laineth was brokenhearted for whole 5 minutes, before she calmed down and sent her off with her best wishes.

So she packed her bags, mounted Toby and left Rivendell, apprehension and excitement mingling in her heart. On her waist, secured tightly with a belt ,was a white wand, slightly shorter than her forearm, with a golden tear-shaped stone on top – a gift sent from Lothlorien.


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you for the follows, favorites and reviews, my lovely lemondrops! Every one of them makes my day.

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Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the characters, places and events I made up myself.

Year 2940 of The Third Age of the Sun

Ara cursed herself and her own stupidity. What madness made her leave the road and go through the woods? Obviously she had overrated her own orientation skills. She should've just stayed on the East-West road and by this time she would have already been in Bree.

But now she was lost. And also she was stuck crouching in some bushes, waiting for the band of orcs to go away. It was mildly alarming to see them in these parts. Orcs do not wander so freely through these parts, not with the rangers so near. Yet she noticed that it was starting to be an usual occurrence, through the last few years. Whispers of orcs and goblins coming down from the mountains traveled through the villages. Though many people waved them away unconcerned, for life seemed to go on peacefully. But Ara knew it was only the raised efforts of the rangers that kept the people safe.

As far as she knew there were only five of them. But they made their camp in front of a cave and she guessed there could be more in there. Anyhow, five was still much more than she could take on. She could've tried her luck if there was one orc, maybe.

Her wand was poking into her side, the stone on top of it burning hot. She covered it with her cloak so the bright light won't alert them to her hiding place. It could not help her much this time. While it could scare them and distract them for a short while, it was not a good weapon when facing several enemies.

The short and light elvish sword hung from her left hip. She shook her head. If only she was more skilled with it. She was taught to fight with a sword by none other than Glorfindel himself, probably one of the most skilled fighters in all of Middle Earth. Yet even he could only go so far with her two left legs and weak arms. She used her sword only when she had no other option.

She could not outrun them, she had to learn that the hard way. While she was much lighter on her feet and faster, orcs could endure long runs without getting tired, which was not the case with her. She got winded pretty fast.

Once again she cursed under her breath.

Suddenly she realized she could hear someone's breathing just behind her and she gasped, her heart in her throat. A hand clasped over her mouth while the other arm held her tightly in place, her sword drawn only halfway out of its sheath.

'Shhhh my lady... Do not alert them.' the arms let go of her carefully, and she peeked over her shoulder. Dark hair, gray eyes – she did not know him by his name, but there was no mistake that he was one of the Dunedain.

'Follow me, our camp is nearby.' he turned, still crouching.

'I can't. I left my horse and my bags over there.' she motioned with her head towards the trees, across the clearing where the orcs made their camp. She felt a bit embarrassed to admit that she had done something so stupid as to leave all her things behind.

He grimaced.'Well...then you should go back to the camp and alert the others. It is safer for you to stay there while we deal with these foul bunch and bring you your things back.' he pointed between the trees, 'Just go this way, you can not miss it. I will keep watch here.' he took her place behind the bushes and she nodded and started carefully in the direction he showed her. She hoped she would find her way through the darkness.

She moved cautiously, at first she was almost crawling across the ground, then she slowly started raising herself up. Just a few more steps and she could disappear behind the trees.

A dry branch cracked beneath her booth.

'Wha' was that?' she heard a voice spit out. She stood frozen in place.

The heavy footsteps grew nearer.

An arm shot up and the ranger pulled her down to the ground, putting a finger to his lips. Then he looked down to her hip and his eyes widened in alarm. The cloak slid off the wand, uncovering the brightly glowing stone. She hurried to cover it up but it was too late.

'There's someone 'ere! Looks like it's dinner time, boys!' the orc shouted back to the others, and they laughed menacingly, pulling out their weapons.

The ranger pulled out his bow and jumped on his feet swiftly. The orc spotted him and raised his axe but it was too late, in a second, the arrow was lodged in his skull and his lifeless body fell to the ground. The other orcs screamed in rage and ran towards them.

Ara scrambled up from the ground. She had just enough time to pull out her wand when of them fell upon her. The orc raised his jagged sword, ready to strike, but she startled him by throwing herself on him, sticking the glowing wand into his face. He fell back with a blood-curdling scream, hitting his burning face with his hands.

It distracted the other three, giving the ranger just enough time to step back and regain his wits. He had been holding off all three of them at the same time. Ara ran up to him, holding the glowing wand up in the air as a warning and pulling out her sword. The orcs growled and looked at the light warily. Then they cackled and raised their weapons. Ara braced herself for the attack but they just stood in place. There was a roar behind them.

'Watch out!' the ranger warned her loudly.

Four more orcs ran out of the darkness of the cave behind them, one of them tackling her down to the ground. Her wand fell to the ground and rolled away. With a growl, the orc swung his sword down on her. She managed to block it just inches from her face, holding her sword tightly with both hands. The orc laughed, its foul breath making her nauseous and her hands trembled under the pressure. Her body was starting to go numb under the heavy weight on top of her and the jagged, bloodstained blade was inching closer to her neck. She shut her eyes tightly, feeling the strength slowly leaving her arms.

She felt an arrow whizz over her head and straight into the orcs skull. With a final effort, she knocked the blade out of its hands and kicked the dead body off of her.

The rangers had arrived.

Ara scrambled up on her feet and went over to pick up her wand, while she watched them take care of the rest of the orcs swiftly. Disgusted, she brushed the dirt off of her herself. One of the rangers came up to her, while the others were pulling out their swords and arrows out of the dead bodies.

'It pleases me to see you again, lady Ara!' he said with a slight bow of the head. He had a vaguely familiar face.

'Likewise.' she replied with a smile, trying to remember his name.

'What brings you to these parts alone, my lady? These woods are dangerous.'

'I was on my way to Bree, but I wanted to stay off the road to avoid any unwanted attention.' the ranger laughed.

'You couldn't be further away from the road, what made you go so far to the south?'

_Isn't it obvious that I got lost?_ Her embarrassment made her feel very irritated. He guessed from the dark look she threw him, that she didn't want to talk about that any longer.

Another ranger appeared out of the trees, pulling Toby along with him and carrying her bags. She took the reins and the bags and thanked him.

'It is a very good horse that you have here, my lady. I thought the sounds would scare them off, but he was very calm when I found him.' he explained and she stroked Toby's coat proudly. Truth to be told, he was not what he used to be anymore, even for an elvish horse he was quite old. But she could not replace her old companion with any other horse.

'Let us return to the camp, you will probably want to rest.'

She heard the other rangers call him Faolan and she could now recognize, through his weathered features, the face of the eager young ranger she once knew. They sat around the fire and ate, partly shielded by some old ruins where they had made camp.

It felt nice to have some company for a change. Usually she would avoid being around men at all costs, stay in their villages and cities only when she had to. The fact that she was a young woman who traveled alone did not give her a very good reputation, and many went so far as to accuse her as being a woman of a shameful trade. She had to learn the hard way, that her own kin was the least welcoming. Only when she was in dire need of shelter from the weather, rest or food, would she venture into human settlements. Each time under a new name, sometimes as a traveling healer, or storyteller, and sometimes she even had to work as barmaid to earn her her food and bed for the night. Once she offered the owner of an inn to entertain the guests with songs and her lute but he merely laughed in her face. 'A woman cannot be a bard!' Then he offered her another way of earning her stay, a very offensive one, and she had to flee the inn because she kicked the owner in a very sensitive place.

She also avoided that town for the next seventeen years.

But the Dunedain were different. Perhaps it was their Numenorian roots and their friendship with the elves that made them more civilized, even tho they lived a nomadic life. And of course she was known and respected as a close friend of Mithrandir.

She asked them if their settlement was still in the Angle, between the Bruinen and the Mitheithel. Faolan shook his head.

'We moved away, five years ago.' she nodded, guessing so much. The last time she has visited them, was also the last time she had seen Gandalf, ten years ago when Aragorn II had been born. Many of the elven folk came also, to welcome Isildur's heir to Middle Earth. The other thing she remembered was that the celebration was magnificent, and she drank a bit too much wine, much to Gandalf's disapproval. She remembered to ask about the heir and his family.

A shadow passed over the ranger's face. 'Arathorn fell, merely three years after the birth of his son. There was a band of orcs that ventured too close to our village. Nearly everyone has been out scouting, for there have been more and more sightings of orcs nearby. Yet no one expected them to be so bold and come so close to our people. The Chieftain, who had stayed back to recover from a recent injury, went out with the few able-bodied men and met them head on. We owe the lives of our families to him. He died a hero's death.' the rangers dropped their heads in grief and silent respect for their fallen leader.

Ara was shocked.

'He was a hero through all his life and went down like one.' the ranger bowed his head, acknowledging her praise. ' What about the mother? Who is taking care of them now?' she was genuinely concerned.

'Gilraen went mad with sorrow and fear for her son's life. She brought Aragorn to Imlardis, and lord Elrond vowed to protect him and raise him as his own. Gilraen however...we lost her soon after, to grief and sickness.' His face was pain stricken.

They sat in solemn silence. Ara felt her eyes stinging. Not only were those two people she knew very well, but also the thought of that child that had to grow up not knowing his parents made her heart break. She had lost her father when she was so young that she could barely remember him and she knew what kind of emptiness that could cause in someone's life. And her mother too...

She shook her head as if to get rid of the painful thoughts.

'I am truly sorry to hear that. At least the child will be safe and happy at Rivendell. I do not doubt that lord Elrond will take good care of him.'

They went back to their forgotten food, eating and drinking in silence.

One of the younger rangers spoke up. 'You have been away for a long time, my lady.' she looked up into his curious eyes.

'I was in Gondor, for a while. Then I traveled towards the Sea of Rhun, I always wanted to see it for myself.' she smiled. _And I wanted to see if there were any villages left in the Brown Lands_. There were none. And she went far beyond the sea, into the east. Yet she did not know if she should tell them about the things she encountered there. It would be wiser to share it with Gandalf first. Or lord Elrond. He would know what to make of those things.

'And what is it like?' their conversation had spiked the curiosity of the other rangers.

'It is dead.' she laughed at his confused face.'There are no fish, nor plants, nor any other living beings in it, or along its shore.' the rangers murmured in disbelief.

'There must be some foul magic at work. Nothing good could come from the east.' Faolan grumbled, but Ara shook her head.

'It is not witchcraft. There is a simple explanation for that, actually.' she paused, watching their eager faces. 'The water is too salty for anything to be able to survive in it. And the ground around it too. The salt makes the water so dense, that instead of swimming you float over on the surface. You could probably read a book, while resting on your back, and not have to worry about sinking.' some of them scowled skeptically and she raised her hands 'Tis the truth, I have seen it with my own eyes!' she swore.

A grim and serious fellow who sat at the back spoke up for the first time, interrupting them.

'And what news of Gondor?' all eyes were on her again.

'Not very good news, I am afraid. There have been more sightings of orcs coming down from the mountains and...the east. The plans to rebuild Osgiliath have been completely abandoned. The builders and all other folk who have been sent there, returned to Minas Tirith, deeming it too unsafe. It caused quite an unrest in the city.'

'Same as here then.' the youngest ranger said. There was a short silence and everyone was thinking the same thought._ Dark times are ahead of us._

'So you did not pass through Rivendell on your way back? We were hoping for some news about Aragorn.' Faolan asked.

She shook her head. 'I took the path through the Gap of Rohan and then north. I stayed in the Raven inn on the East-West road and happened to hear about Gandalf passing through recently, heading west. So I assumed he was going to Bree and wanted to catch up with my old friend.'

Faolan grinned at her. 'Well it would seem it was really faith that brought you here.' she looked at him, confused.

'We met Gandalf barely a week ago. He was heading south, returning from Bree.' he explained.

_How does he do that!?_ She was right on his tracks, she was expecting to catch him on the road any moment!

'He gave me this.' he pulled out a little scroll tied with a red ribbon. 'He instructed me to leave it in Rivendell for you, in case you return from your journey before he does.' he handed it to her.

'Thank you.' she looked at it curiously, breaking the seal and unrolling the parchment.

_The dragon has not been seen for almost sixty years._

_It is time for the map to be given to its rightful owner._

She thanked the rangers for accompanying her to Bree and wished them farewell. She had offered to pay for a room so that they can rest for a night, but Faolan shook his head, as they were in a hurry to return to their people. She felt a bit relieved that they declined her offer, because she realized too late that the few coins she had left in her pockets were not enough for two rooms.

She pulled her hood lower, shielding her eyes as she turned towards the big wooden gates of the town. She could already feel the distrustful glare of the gatekeeper on her. The rangers were always viewed upon with mistrust, and not a small amount of fear.

'Who are you and what business do you have here?' the gatekeepers eyes squinted at her in suspicion.

'My name is Sedna. I am a traveling merchant from Archett. I was merely looking to spend a nights rest in the Prancing Pony, and maybe sell some of my cloth.' she opened her bag and pulled out a few pieces of brightly colored materials. She had brought it from south Gondor, intending to let the seamstress at Rivendell make her a dress. A girl gets tired from wearing breeches, cloaks and rough leather all the time. It would be a real shame if she had to sell it now to keep her cover.

'Sedna? Never 'eard of a Sedna. A third cousin of mine lives in Archett. Do you know Gunry Oldbottle?'

'Hmm...that tall fellow, big nose, dark hair?' she raised her hand as if to show his height. The gatekeeper was squinting at her in silence for a few seconds, making her nervous. Then he laughed.

'Hah, I don't remember! Saw him ages ago. Well come on in, Sedna.' he opened the gates and she thanked him and hurried inside, keeping her head low so the hood covered her eyes.

Keeping the cloak wrapped tightly around her, she entered the Prancing Pony, the smell of stale ale, pipeweed and sweat making her dizzy for a moment. She avoided catching anyone's eye while she carefully walked around the tables up to the bartender.

'How can I help you?' he asked without looking up from the pint that he was cleaning.

'I need a room for the night.' she spoke just loud enough for him to hear her and he looked up in slight surprise, hearing the young woman's voice.

'Of course, lassie.' he peeked behind her. 'Where is your company, if I may ask?'

She sighed inwardly.

'I am alone.'

He gave her a nod. 'Well then...I will show you to your room. Follow me.' he walked briskly out into the hallway. And she knew why, she was already attracting some leery stares.

The bartender opened the door to her room, showing it to her. She almost laughed. It was the same room she stayed in the last time she was there.

'Thank you. If you don't mind I would like to pay now. l will be leaving early in morning.'

'Of course!'

She handed him the coins and he pulled up his lantern a bit higher to look at them. The light shone over her face and as he looked up, his expression froze. She gulped.

'Do I know you?'

'I don't think so.' she answered, trying to keep a cool face. 'It is my first time staying here.'

'You don't happen to have an older sister? Or maybe it was your mother...was she a healer perchance?'

She shook her head. 'You must have confused me for someone else, sir.' she gave him her most charming smile. Though it is more likely that it turned out like a grimace, due to her nervousness.

'I swear she looked just like you...healed my wife you know.' he shook his head confusedly. 'But that was twenty years ago, hah what am I talking! Excuse me miss, I will go back to my work now.' he nodded his head at her and went off, throwing one last strange look at her.

Ara closed the door behind her as she entered the small room. She shook her head. Had it been twenty years already? The room looked just as she remembered it. Even the small looking glass on the wall was the same. As well as her reflection in it. She stared at herself. Every time she saw her reflection she was greeted with the same sight. She was the same young girl that Gandalf had found lying in a pile of ashes, so many years ago. _How long ago was that?_ She tried to remember what year it was. _It was ninety years ago._ She thought with a wry smile. It barely felt like 3 years. Perhaps it was because she did not change, on the the outside or inside, that she could not keep track of how things changed around her too. To be honest, she felt a bit lost in time, somewhat disoriented. So she stopped trying to track it. Anything she tried to remember was either '_not long ago'_, '_a while ago'_, or '_probably a long time ago'_.

Her habit of always being late irritated Gandalf to the end.

She remember one time, _a while ago_, when she was supposed to meet up with him in Bree. He had left her a note in Rivendell, with the exact time of their meeting. And she had arrived precisely as she was expected to, and was led to Gandalf's room by a barmaid.

He was sitting on the reclining chair, smoking his pipe, and looking at her angrily. She stopped dead in her tracks as she noticed his glare.

'What?!' She looked at him, confused. 'What did I do wrong this time?' she asked sulkily.

'You are late, as ever.' he answered curtly.

'Ah ah! I am not!' she pulled out the note he left her and showed it to him. 'The evening of the 17. of March.' she waved the parchment into his face proudly. 'Weren't we supposed to meet at this time?' she said smugly. 'You are losing your touch, old man.'

'We were supposed to meet at this time.' he agreed calmly. 'But a year ago!' his voice boomed angrily. She dropped the note, startled.

'Oh...'

'Yes, oh! You had luck I was passing through Bree on my way back from the Shire.' he leaned back into his chair. 'I should attach a wooden panel around your neck. That way you could carve in a mark for every day and count the days up to our next meeting.' he grumbled.

'It might work.' she pretended to be considering the offer. 'Though I do not think, that one panel would be enough for all the days that I spend on the road. And two would be too much of a burden for my dainty neck!' she grinned at him and he sighed in annoyance.

'I wonder how many days you actually spend traveling, and how many being lost.'

'I do not see much of a difference between those two.' she sat on another chair next to him, the warm fire crackling in the fireplace in front of them. 'I have found more extraordinary things while being lost, than while simply going down a road that is like any other.' she stared into the fire with a small smile, her eyes glazed over with memories.

She felt his eyes on her and turned her head. He was looking at her with an unreadable expression.

'Are you going to stay angry at me all night now?' she asked.

'You look the same.' he ignored her question, 'As the last time I saw you. And the time before that. You haven't aged a day.' He smoked his pipe thoughtfully.

'I noticed.' she answered wryly.

'The Dunedain are blessed with long life, as were their Numenorian ancestors.'

'I know.'

'But you seem to have been gifted with the long life of an elf.' his voice was quiet. Ara was staring into he fire, thinking about what he said.

She shook her head.

'No, it is not quite like that.' she sighed. 'You explained to me once, that elves age and mature the same as we do, only much slower, and their appearance does not show it as obviously as it does by men. But I do not think I have grown, in any way but in my experience, through these years. It does not _feel_, as if I am living a long life. It rather feels as if I am stuck...frozen somewhere in time.' she pulled up a strand of her dark hair, inspecting it. 'It has not grown an inch...' she murmured quietly.

The was a loud crash somewhere outside of her room and she was startled out of her memories. She realized she had been standing there, staring at her reflection in the looking glass. She shook the thought off and turned away from it.

Tomorrow will be a long day.

She undressed herself quickly, throwing the breeches and long green tunic over the chair, and went to the small bed.

She felt the fatigue take over as soon as her head hit the pillow.

She yawned and thought about the road ahead. _The best way to take would be the one through the Shire, and then far into west, towards the Blue Mountains._ The dwarves of Erebor should be there, with their western kin.

* * *

To anyone wondering about Ara's long life - there is an explanation for that. But I'm not gonna tell you just yet ;D!


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